Questions, Answers, and Intrigue
by Paulina Ann
Summary: Continuation of my "Just a Kiss" story arc. Keith and Allura find answers to questions about their feelings and relationship while dissidents in the cities around the castle leads to a surprise that none of them expected.
1. Chapter 1

**Questions, Answers, and Intrigue**

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

 **Rating/Setting:** Rating is T for kissing and groping. I know, who knew that I would write a story with some mild groping? Flavor is DotU, but is part of the "Just a Kiss" story arc. 1. Just a Kiss, 2. Shirts vs Skins, 3. More, and , Answers, and Intrigue. You really need to read them all to make sense of the story. Stories 1-3 are all pretty short and should be a quick read if you are interested.

 **Author's Notes:** So it's been awhile! Especially since I visited this story arc. I think I started this story in 2014 and have pulled it out to work on every now and then. About two months ago, I pulled it out again. Sixteen chapters were completed and the date on the update file was June 2016. Inspired by how KA VLD was in this last season, I had a renewed interest in my DotU story. And while I haven't gotten it quite finished, it is on chapter 20 with only a few more to go I think. So I hope you enjoy it. Please take time to drop me a review if you liked it.

* * *

 **Chapter One**

Allura's laughter rang across the gym as Lance made yet another inappropriate comment to her. They were circling each other on the mat as they sparred. "One of these days, Lance, you're going to forget and drop one of those innuendos around Nanny and you'll have a lecture or a rolling pin to deal with."

Lance laughed as he slapped away the hand she shot out in his direction. "I don't think it will be an either/or situation, Princess. I'm pretty sure it will be both." He continued to watch her closely. She'd thrown him once and he was determined that the next throw would be him throwing her. Her concentration broke for the moment and he seized the opportunity. Moving in quickly, he grabbed her torso and took her to the mat. "I think this makes us even," he said as he smiled down at her.

Looking up into his laughing eyes and handsome face, she was struck once again with the question of what it would be like to kiss him. Keith's kisses left her breathless and wanting more. Since the incident with Ignatius just last week, she had discovered that she felt protective of him. However, there had only been the two occasions where she actually kissed Keith. They had almost kissed again after that council meeting, but had been interrupted by the very man whose eyes she was staring into now. What would happen if she kissed Lance? Actually, the real question would be, would it feel the same as with Keith? Allura saw Lance's brows draw together when she didn't respond to his comment.

Acting on instinct, she put her hand around the back of his neck and pulled herself up, pressing her lips to his. After a moment of surprise, she felt him respond to her kiss as he eased her back to the floor.

Lance's lips slanted across Allura's and she parted her lips under his. He wasn't sure what came over her, but if she wanted to kiss, he wasn't one to say no.

She hated the fact that she was being analytical while Lance kissed her. She found it pleasurable and even enjoyable. But when his hand moved down her side in a caress, she found that she didn't want him touching her further. As she went to push him away, the sound of the door swishing open drew her attention and she turned her head as Lance moved to trail kisses down her neck. Her eyes met Keith's as he stood in the doorway. Even from the distance she could read the hurt in his expression as he silently turned and left the room.

Allura pushed against Lance, "Stop it, Lance."

Grinning like a Cheshire cat, Lance looked at her and said, "No need to stop, I'm just getting started." His lips went back to her neck.

Tensing, she said, "I mean it, Lance."

Feeling the change in her, he stopped immediately. He sat up confused and looked at her as she closed her eyes. "I'm sorry, Allura. I thought you were joking. You seemed to be into the kissing."

Pushing herself upright, she put a hand over his and said, "No, it's not you. I'm sure that what just happened was confusing to you. I never doubted you'd stop." She waved a hand in the air. "Don't ask me what happened, I'm slightly confused myself." She looked toward the door. "I need to go now."

Lance watched her stand and walk toward the door. "You're serious? You're leaving?"

Glancing over her shoulder, she said, "Yeah. There's someone I need to speak to. And if you can, just forget this happened."

Watching the door close behind her, he though, _how am I supposed to forget that?_

As Allura exited the gym, she looked both ways and blew a piece of hair out of her eyes. Of course he was already out of sight. The question was where would he have gone? His office? No, probably not. He'd expect her to check there. Black Lion? Maybe, but it would be easy to corner him there. Then an idea struck her and she looked at her watch. If she was right, there should be just enough time for her to change and get where she needed to be.

Twenty minutes later, she adjusted her lightweight robe and kicked off her sandals. Shaking out a towel, she laid it on the grass and plopped down crossing her legs as she sat. Gazing out across the lake, she could see him nearing the shore. Hopefully, he'd be willing to talk to her and not just turn around and swim back.

Lying back on the towel, she closed her eyes and thought. Sure, it had been impulsive for her to kiss Lance like that, especially after what had happened at Alder. She had been completely certain that Keith was the only one for her then. But Keith was the only guy she had ever kissed. When Lance had been staring down at her with his mouth so close, she just wanted to see if kissing him was different than kissing Keith. Was it wrong for her to explore? She didn't think so. It wasn't like she and Keith were a couple or anything. However, she knew that Keith wouldn't see it that way. In a way, it ticked her off. He didn't have any more claim to her love life than Coran or Nanny.

Hearing the water splash, she sat up. Her eyes met Keith's as he stood in the waist deep water. She swallowed hard and made a decision. "Are you willing to talk to me or are you going to run away?" There. That would either send him away angry or bring him to her side. Inwardly, she smiled as he trudged through the water to the shore.

Keith hadn't expected her to be waiting on the bank, but was pleasantly surprised that she was there. It showed that she knew him. However, he was still battling his inner green-eyed monster. When she called the challenge to him, he knew immediately that he'd talk to her. If he turned away, he might as well push her into someone else's arms. Moving through the water, he kept his eyes on her. Walking up to stand in front of her, he asked, "Is there room enough on that towel for me too?"

Allura looked down at the towel; there would be room, just not much of it. "I guess so." Scooting over a little, she thrilled as his wet body joined her on the towel. She drew in a small breath as his leg brushed against hers. She looked up into his eyes.

Seeing that she was already responding to his presence, he said, "Before you say anything, there's something I need to do." He watched her nod.

She was mesmerized as he laid her back on the towel. His body was pressed against hers. She could immediately see the similarity in the pose that she had been in with Lance earlier. Her breath came in short bursts. The water from his body and trunks was seeping through her robe to her skin. As her hand crept up to his neck, he leaned down without being pulled to take her lips in a gentle kiss.

Keith had only thought to kiss her lightly, but once his lips touched hers the gentle kiss soon became more passionate as he pulled her lip between his. Things only became hotter from there and he let his free hand roam down her side to the bottom of her swim robe. Sliding his hand up under the fabric, he caressed the soft skin of her abdomen with his fingers. His movements under the robe loosened the sash and the robe fell open. Without the robe in the way, his hand roamed higher in a feather light touch across her bikini top. At her moan, he moved his hand back to the side and with a soft kiss, he pulled back from her.

Allura looked at him with wonder. There was no doubt in her mind now. It wasn't that he was her first kiss, it was him. She wanted him like no other. All of her earlier thoughts about being free to explore and date others fled from her mind. As he looked down on her and smiled, she frowned and thought _, this isn't going to be easy._


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

 **Rating/Setting:** Rating is T for kissing and groping. I know, who knew that I would write a story with some mild groping? Flavor is DotU, but is part of the "Just a Kiss" story arc. 1. Just a Kiss, 2. Shirts vs Skins, 3. More, and , Answers, and Intrigue. You really need to read them all to make sense of the story. Stories 1-3 are all pretty short and should be a quick read if you are interested.

 **Author's Notes:** Yea! I think I've gotten it finished! I went on a writing streak this week and I'm done... well, except for going in and adding a few details, cleaning up some grammar and stuff... Yeah, I think I'm done! Whew! Anyway, I'm posting early in celebration! Also, I was never known for my patience in posting! I hope you enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

Keith saw her frown. It didn't stop him from smiling. He knew she had responded passionately to him and it would only take less than a minute to erase that frown if he wanted to.

"You're angry." Allura made a statement, not a question.

Shaking his head at her, he said, "No. I was never angry. I have no right to be angry. I was, and am jealous."

Moving so that they were facing each other on the towel, she asked, "You were jealous?"

"Yes."

Frustrated at his lack of elaboration, she said, "Why? You haven't made any attempt to kiss me since we've returned from Alder. So why would you be jealous?"

Reaching out to take her hand, Keith responded. "I haven't made any moves because I knew you were figuring out your own emotions. If I were constantly finding ways to get you alone to kiss you, I was afraid that you wouldn't have a chance to sort out those feelings. And Alder… well, that was a very heated situation and as much as I loved how you defended me, I thought it might have just been the passion of the moment." He shrugged and looked down at their hands. "You honestly told me, in almost this very spot, that you picked me over Lance because I didn't fool around and might get in less trouble." Looking back up into her eyes, he added, "If I don't play fast and loose with the castle staff and village women, what made you think I'd do it with you – the Crown Princess of Arus?"

Allura had the grace to blush. It was true. She had picked him partly because he wasn't like Lance, but then after kissing him, she had wanted and expected him to act like Lance. "I'm sorry, Keith. You're right."

Turning and laying back on the towel, he closed his eyes as he asked. "So, do you want to tell me about what I saw in the gym? You don't have to, but I assume that's why you're here." He opened his eyes for a moment to look at her as he said, "Just so you know, you don't owe me an explanation. I don't have any right to censure you over something like that." Closing his eyes, he waited. His body was tense as he tried to pretend that he wasn't.

Looking out over the water to the castle, she spoke. "It was an impulse. I wanted to see if it was different." She paused here to see if he would ask, but he didn't. It would be wrong to make him ask, so she continued. "I have to say it was different. Quite different as a matter of fact." She stopped and looked at him, but his eyes remained closed. Smiling, she leaned her body across his and his eyes popped open. "It was nice. But that's all it was."

Keith's eyes searched her face. She was smiling down at him.

"Nice doesn't compare to being left senseless and wanting more." Her gaze turned to his lips as she leaned down to whisper against his mouth. "What you do to me Keith Kogane is something no other man can do. Make me breathless."

He wasn't sure if it was a comment or a request, but he raised his head to close the infinitesimal distance between them to claim her lips. He rolled over so that she was under him once again. Moving to place a kiss next to her ear, he whispered, "What you do to me, Allura Altaire, is make me lose control."

As his lips burned a trail of kisses from her earlobe down her neck, she decided she needed to make the commander lose control more often. After what seemed too short a time, Keith pulled away from her. Pulling her beside him, he said somewhat breathlessly, "What do we do now, Allura? We can't go on having these secret trysts."

"Trysts?" She smiled at the term. "I wouldn't call this a tryst, but I know what you mean."

Keith stared up at Black Lion and then back at Allura. "I was serious earlier. I won't play fast and loose with you. It would be unfair to you in the long-run and it would hurt us both in the eyes of your people. It's obvious from the Alder council meeting that some of the people already think the Force has loose morals."

She held his gaze. "I don't want fast and loose. Coran and Nanny will probably oppose our relationship, but they can't stop us."

Keith looked back to Black Lion. "Actually, they can. They can contact the Garrison and asked that I be replaced." He felt the tightening of her hand on his.

"They wouldn't dare!"

Smiling ruefully, Keith turned back to her. "Oh wouldn't they? Like they wouldn't forbid you to fly Blue Lion? Like they wouldn't tie you up to keep you from doing so? Like they wouldn't keep reminding you that all of us are nothing but hooligans and riffraff? That your place is in the castle?"

Frowning, she glared at him. "What you say is true, but has it worked? Do you see me sitting in the castle being the model princess?" She harrumffed at him. "My people love you. While Coran, Nanny, and the Council may disparage the relationship, the majority of the people will not."

Keith looked at her and saw a princess older than her years in many ways. This was the princess from the Alder council chamber.

"I rule for the people. Not for bureaucracy."

"That's a nice sentiment, Allura, but it's not reality." Keith's tone was regretful. "Arus isn't ready to shed its traditions for royalty. Not after what your people just went through." Shaking his head as he stared off at the castle, he said, "It was probably wrong for me to kiss you in the first place. Doing that put silly notions in both of our heads of what could be- Ow!" Keith turned to look at the princess.

Allura was tired of his excuses. She punched him in the arm as hard as she could with their close proximity. Looking at Keith as he rubbed his arm, she said, "Silly notions? Is that what you call that kiss we just shared? Silly? Because if that's true, then maybe you're right."

Frowning at her, Keith interjected, "That's not what I meant and you know it."

"What I know is that you don't seem to feel as strongly as I do about us-" Allura broke off abruptly as she watched Keith's expression change from surprised to a deeper emotion that she couldn't name quite yet.

"I don't feel as strongly? Really? I suppose putting my life on the line to save you doesn't count. I'd give my life to keep you safe." Keith's tone had started out harsh, but as he ended it, his tone and voice were soft.

Looking down at the hands in her lap, Allura said, "I'm sorry, Keith. I know how much you are willing to sacrifice for Arus."

Tilting her head up so that he could look in her eyes, he said, "No. Not for Arus. I'd give everything for you." As he spoke the words, he leaned in and brushed her lips again with his. Kissing her now was like breathing. He seemed to need it to keep living. How was he going to go back to how things were? How things had to be?

Leaning back on his elbows, he resolutely said, "It's because I feel so strongly about you, that we can't continue. Our feelings are too real to be meeting in secret to steal kisses. I don't want to be meeting up with you in some broom closet to have a few stolen moments." He laughed ruefully. "Nanny would only view my feelings for you with contempt and she would view yours as a serious lack of judgment. If our… love, can't be out in the open, then I don't want it treated like some illicit dirty affair. It would only demean us both in the end."

Tilting her head, she looked at him. "I know you're willing to die for me, Keith Kogane. The question is, are you willing to fight for me?" Reaching up to touch his face, she said, "I'm willing to fight for you." And then in a moment that wasn't impulsive, but calculated, she moved over to straddle his lap. She felt his weight shift forward as he worked to balance himself so that his hands rested on her hips. Threading her fingers through his damp hair, she leaned forward and whispered to his lips, "Fight for me, Keith. Fight with me. I promise the reward will be worth it." She was pleased when his lips parted immediately and his desire matched hers.

Keith slowly lay back on the towel, pulling her down with him.

Allura broke from his hold and sat up. She was still straddling him in an incredibly intimate manner. He reached up to pull her back down, but she resisted. "Are you going to fight?"

Keith gave up on pulling her down and instead rolled over with her so that he was now lying on top of her with her legs still around his waist. He smiled down at her as he promised, "I'll fight to the last breath."


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

 **Rating/Setting:** Rating is T for kissing and groping. I know, who knew that I would write a story with some mild groping? Flavor is DotU, but is part of the "Just a Kiss" story arc. 1. Just a Kiss, 2. Shirts vs Skins, 3. More, and , Answers, and Intrigue. You really need to read them all to make sense of the story. Stories 1-3 are all pretty short and should be a quick read if you are interested.

* * *

 **Chapter Three**

Allura was late. Lance looked at the clock. She was supposed to be in her office thirty minutes ago to attend to 'royal matters.' He was still stunned by the kiss they had shared and her abrupt departure. What was she thinking to tell him to just forget it had happened? He hadn't started the kiss, but once she kissed him, he realized he enjoyed it. Lance stopped pacing and leaned against the wall opposite the door. They had always been good friends, now he had thoughts about turning it into something more.

Footsteps echoed down the corridor and he stood up straight.

Blissfully unaware, Allura entered her office humming and with hands tucking stray wisps of hair into her bun. She made it all the way to her desk before she noticed the silent and unusually serious Red Lion pilot standing in her office. Stopping suddenly, she dropped her hands to her sides. "Lance."

After a quick nod to her, he went to the entry and keyed the panel to close the door.

Allura wasn't nervous about what Lance would do, but she was nervous about explaining what had happened earlier.

Taking a deep breath, Lance turned from the door to face the princess. "Why did you kiss me and why do you want me to forget about it?"

She had thought about what she would say to Lance. Knowing what she would say, didn't make it any easier. Actually, it was amazing that Keith was still interested in her after her whole speech at their first kiss. Now, she hoped she would be equally blessed and Lance would forgive her.

"I kissed you because I wanted to know what it felt like."

Moving a few steps closer to her he asked, "You wanted to know what kissing was like or you wanted to know what kissing me was like?" He watched her intently.

Allura saw how closely he watched her… and it was slightly unnerving. "I wanted to know what kissing you was like."

Lance nodded. "So, it must not have been very good since you asked me to stop and told me to forget it happened."

Coloring a light shade of red, Allura was embarrassed by her earlier behavior and her treatment of her friend. He deserved better. Stammering slightly, she said, "No, Lance, it wasn't you. I was just comparing your kiss to-" Stopping abruptly at this point, Allura realized she wasn't making things better.

Looking speculatively at the princess, Lance laughed in a way that indicated it was not a mirthful one. "So. You kissed ME in an effort to gauge the kiss of some other guy and obviously, this other guy's kisses mean more to you than mine did."

The color on her face did not subside, but she looked him in the eye to apologize. "It was wrong of me. I'm sorry I did it. It was unfair of me to use you in that way."

Lance studied her some more, and then walked over to stand close to her. "I don't think you got the full effect, Princess. Don't make your judgment until you've experienced it completely." He could see her puzzlement, but he reached out and pulled her to him before she could voice an argument. He had felt something at that kiss and this time, he wanted to see if the feeling was still there. Bringing his lips down to hers, he gently pressured until her lips broke and then he gently invaded. He felt her go limp for a few moments as she was overpowered by the kiss. But then to his dismay, he felt her tense as she did earlier. Not waiting for her to push him away, he released her and stepped back.

Allura put a hand to her lips. She couldn't say that Lance McClain wasn't a wonderful kisser, but he didn't stir any deeper emotion in her.

Reaching a hand out to stroke her cheek, he said, "If it's not me, then who is this lucky guy?"

They were both startled and jumped apart as Keith's voice answered from the door. "That would be me, Lieutenant."

Lance spun to look at Keith who was lounging against the entryway. His stance looked casual, but he knew Keith too well and could see the tension in the muscular frame. It looked like Keith was ready to jump him at any moment. Looking between Keith and Allura, his eyes narrowed.

"So, Princess, what are you doing? Trying to use me to make Keith jealous?"

Allura gasped, "Of course not, Lance! I wouldn't do anything like that!"

Giving her a wry smile, Lance retorted, "Just like you wouldn't kiss me just to compare how I kiss to someone else?"

Moving over to stand with Allura, Keith said, "I think that's enough, Lieutenant."

Feeling his emotions starting to boil, Lance said, "Really, _Commander_? Did you know she was kissing me in the gym? If she's really with you, why was she kissing me?"

All the tension drained from Keith. Lance didn't know anything about what had happened between himself and Allura over the last month or so. What would he be thinking in Lance's position? He would have been devastated because of what he felt for Allura… but how did Lance feel about Allura? Keith glanced at Allura and then back to Lance. "Why don't you and I go talk somewhere and I'll explain as much as I can."

Lance wasn't sure how he felt, but Keith had always been honest with him. Nodding at Allura, he said to Keith, "Let's go," and walked from the room.

Keith didn't know what to say to Allura. Lance was a good friend to both of them and now he was feeling used and hurt. He would do what he could to put things right.

Walking out to the bridge over Castle Lake, Lance leaned against the rail and said, "Tell me what's going on."

Keith started out with his feelings about Allura and then the first kiss, then second one at the gym, and then the almost kiss after Alder. Finally, he told Lance what had happened today from his perspective.

"This 'whatever' you have with Allura has only been going on for a month?"

"Yes." Keith was a little concerned that Lance had said very little during his explanation.

Still looking out over the lake, Lance questioned, "So you're going to fight for her?"

"Yes. I am."

Lance finally turned from the rail to look Keith in the eye. "Why haven't you already told me about this? I thought we were best friends."

Keith held his gaze even though he wanted to drop his eyes. "We are best friends." Shrugging, he continued, "I was trying not to pressure her. And if I had told you what happened, you KNOW you would not have contained your friendly teasing and innuendos."

An irrepressible smirk appeared on Lance's face. "I hate to say it, but you're right. I would have made comments." He turned to gaze back over the lake and his tone became slightly wistful. "Makes me wonder who her choice would have been if I hadn't been so free and easy with the natives." Seeing the frown that appeared on Keith's face, he added, "It's a lot for me to take in. Would you mind if I talked to Allura about it again?"

"You can do what you like, I won't stop you. She didn't mean to hurt you with any of this you know."

Lance walked past Keith on his way back to castle without answering.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Lance stood in the open doorway of Allura's office. Her golden head was bent over her desk as she looked at the datapad that lay on it. He could hear her reading something aloud. After a few moments, he loudly cleared his throat. Allura's head popped up and he saw a blush come to her cheeks.

Standing, she said, "Come in, Lance, and close the door."

Lance stepped inside and keyed the door to close. He watched as she rounded the desk and moved to the seating area. Gesturing for him to join her, she seated herself and looked at him expectantly.

"What would you like to know?" she asked softly.

"You and Keith, huh?" He saw her nod. With a hopeful gleam in his eye, he asked, "Does anyone else stand a chance?"

Looking down at her hands, Allura replied, "I'm afraid not." And because she wasn't embarrassed or ashamed of her feelings for Keith, she raised her eyes to meet her friend's. "Did he tell you everything?"

Keith wasn't one to play games or lie so Lance responded, "Yes."

"Then I can tell you that initially I didn't have any thoughts other than to experience what other girls my age experience. I just wanted to kiss a man. But I got more than I had ever hoped for from that kiss. I just didn't realize it completely until today."

Lance snorted as he leaned back in his chair. "So kissing me showed you that Keith was the man of your dreams?" The question could have been sarcastic, but it wasn't. It was an honest question.

Allura looked down at her hands. While she wasn't ashamed of her feelings for Keith, she was ashamed of what she did to Lance. "I think my heart already knew; it was my mind that needed convincing." She looked up at Lance. "I kissed you because I like you. You're my friend. You're attractive. I thought that if I kissed you and felt the same things I felt when I kissed Keith that it would prove to me that what I felt was lust, not love."

A twinkle came to Lance's eye as he spoke. "You really know how to wound a man, Princess. What would it do to my rep if it became known that someone kissed me because they thought of me as friend? Add to that that the kiss didn't incite any lust." He laughed as Allura's eyes widened. "You have to promise me that you'll keep this incident to yourself."

Sensing that Lance was willing to let the kiss of the morning go, she smiled and heaved a sigh of relief. "I promise never to speak of it, Lance. Your reputation as castle heartthrob is perfectly safe."

Continuing to smile as he stood, he winked at Allura and said, "That's where you have it wrong, Princess. I haven't been the number one castle heart throb."

Allura's brows drew together in confusion as she stood as well. "What? I mean who? Ohhhhhhh!" She said as she put a hand to her mouth. "Keith?"

Lance laughed outright at her expression. "Indeed, Princess. Keith's never done anything to encourage any of the maids, but they still simper and sigh over him. It can do nothing but help me for them to learn that he is off the market so to speak."

Rushing to cover the distance between them, she grabbed his arm. "You can't say anything to anyone yet, Lance. Keith and I aren't ready to bring this into the open." She looked down, "At least not yet."

"Coran and Nanny?" Lance asked softly.

Allura looked up but closed her eyes. "Yes. But there are others who would oppose our relationship."

"You are rather young-"

Eyes snapping open, Allura quickly interrupted, "I am not too young to know my feelings."

Crossing his arms, Lance asked, "And so you have been certain of these feelings for how long? Hmmmm, since this morning?"

Allura's shoulders slumped. "I see your point. But that just goes to show that we shouldn't say anything yet."

"Agreed. Your secret is safe with me."

When Lance left the room, Allura sank back into the soft chair. Secrets. Trysts. Hidden. Exactly what Keith didn't want but what they had to be for now. She knew Keith hated it, but it was reality.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

 **Rating/Setting:** Rating is T for kissing and groping. I know, who knew that I would write a story with some mild groping? Flavor is DotU, but is part of the "Just a Kiss" story arc. 1. Just a Kiss, 2. Shirts vs Skins, 3. More, and , Answers, and Intrigue. You really need to read them all to make sense of the story. Stories 1-3 are all pretty short and should be a quick read if you are interested.

* * *

 **Chapter Four**

 _In the Arusian city of Alder, unrest was brewing that neither the council knew of nor the Castle of Lions…_

Ignatius sat at a local tavern having ale with his supper. He was talking freely with some of the men and women from the area. Perhaps the ale had loosened his tongue a bit more than usual although he was known to be free to give his opinion easily when it came to government in general and Princess Allura in particular.

Swallowing a large mouthful of roast mutton, Ignatius said, "You should have seen how they looked at each other." He snorted. "Anyone with a brain could see that there was something there." He pointed the mutton leg at the man across from him. "Plain as the nose on your face, something is going on between those two. The princess covered it all over real pretty-like and made it seem like I was ungrateful to the Voltron commander." He tore a bite off the leg and waited to speak until he swallowed. None of his audience said a word to break the spell of his tale. "Don't get me wrong. I am grateful to the Force but everyone knows they're off-worlders. With hardly any royalty left on Arus, the princess will have to look off-world for a mate, but at the very least it should be planetary ruler or someone with the money and clout to assist Arus in rebuilding. Commander Kogane only has a military salary." He saw the nods of agreement from his listeners. He then went into a lecture on the upcoming funding of projects in Alder.

Several of the audience drifted away to a shady corner of the tavern to speak in low voices that bespoke secrecy and intrigue. Mina, Loren, and Carp looked around them. The woman and two men didn't draw any attention. More of their group were in the tavern listening for information that could be helpful in their plan.

Mina glanced over her shoulder at Ignatius who was still talking and eating. "Falling for a poor, military off-worlder," she scoffed with a derisive tone. "An added nail in the princess' coffin as far as I'm concerned. Allowing those space explorers to fly the Lions when native Arusians could be trained was bad enough. The thought that she would think of romantically allying herself with one of them instead of looking for a more lucrative alliance shows that she is being selfish."

Carp's eyes were still on Ignatius. "You know that Councilman Ignatius isn't a fan of the princess. Do you think he's embellishing?"

A laugh sounded deep from within Loren's round belly. "I sure he embellished when he spoke of Commander Kogane's fear. I don't see that man shrinking away from anyone, much less Ignatius. Kogane is a true warrior."

"True warrior or not, he and the Alliance should be providing support for Arus and Arusian pilots. They shouldn't be the primary pilots of Voltron," Mina said, continuing her line of concern from earlier.

"Agreed," Carp acknowledged. "We'll gather the rest of the scout team and meet with the Circle's leadership to discuss our findings and our plan of action." Carp stared at the group around Ignatius with a thoughtful look. "The councilman has provided us with valuable information. He may not agree with our political agenda, but his loose tongue has been useful."

"How so?" Mina asked.

"Kogane," was his simple reply.

"Kogane?" she repeated and looked at Loren. "Do you know what he's talking about?"

A thoughtful look appeared in Loren's eyes as he turned to look at Carp. Slowly and deliberately, he said, "Yes. Yes, I believe I do."

"Pray enlighten me then," was Mina's sarcastic response.

It wasn't Loren but Carp who responded. "You know we've considered abducting the princess in order to get concessions from the government." Mina nodded and Carp continued. "We've never had the opportunity to snatch her. She is always guarded so well by the Force and castle guards."

"I don't see how Ignatius' information helps with that."

Leaning forward, Carp's voice lowered even further. "If she is enamored of Kogane, what concessions would she agree to in order to get him back?" He saw the dawning of understanding in her eyes. "The princess is guarded by those who would give their lives for hers. They expect attackers to take the princess. They will never suspect that Kogane is our target."

A look of excitement came over Mina's face. "When?"

"Not yet. We need to plan with the Circle." Carp smiled at Mina. "But it won't be long, Mina. It won't be long."

XXXXXXXXXX

Two days later, the leadership of the Circle met in attack shelter on the outskirts of Alder. The leadership consisted of three men and four women of varying ages and colors. They came from the three largest cities that were just to the west of the Castle of Lions: Alder, Mynos, and Bellamy. Carp was one of the seven leaders and he shared what he had learned from Ignatius at the Alder tavern.

The remaining members of the leadership were Morgan, Isis, Valeria, Kareem, Daphne, and Loretta. None of them were moderates in their political thinking. All felt that the Arusian Council needed to have more say in the governing of the planet and that the input of the Alliance should be severely limited. The first step in limiting that power would be to make sure that the Voltron Lions were flown by Arusians who were loyal to Arus first. What if the Garrison pilots decided to take the four Lions they controlled and left Arus? What would happen to the planet? The only way to make sure that didn't happen was for Arusians to pilot the Lions.

Valeria fingered the end of her long plait of hair. She was the head of the group although they considered themselves equal. Someone had to start things off and maintain order during discussions and the lot had fallen to her. She was in her mid-fifties and had dark brown hair that was sprinkled liberally with strands of gray and white. Her face was weathered from her years of hard work after Doom decimated Arus. Her memory of the days of Arusian glory was still very vivid and she respected Alfor's daughter. However, she was not Alfor and needed a more seasoned hand than what the Arusian Council and the Royal Advisor were giving her. "You really think that she is enamored of the commander?"

"I think it is very much a possibility. Ignatius seemed certain of it although I know that he is not one to always be truthful when he can spin a good story," Carp said as he looked around the group. "I suggest that one of us infiltrate the Castle staff to see exactly what goes on in the Castle and if there truly is something between the pilot and the princess."

"I'll do it," Isis said without hesitation. She was a pretty girl with honey blonde hair cut into a short bob. Being only in her early twenties, her memories of a time without war were those of a child. Her childhood ended abruptly with the Drule invasion and she resented the Alliance for not having assisted them sooner. Her feelings about Allura were uncertain as she didn't have many memories of the government before the invasion and hadn't had much of an opportunity to see the princess in a governing role. "I'm old enough to get work as a maid in the castle. From the little I have been around the Castle servants, many are willing to talk. I should be able to find out what we need to know."

The remaining members agreed. Isis was to set out for the Castle immediately once she had references in place and a transmitter that she could use to send messages. A plan for relaying messages from the smaller villages outside the castle was set up. Transmissions from inside the Castle would only be used for emergencies as they could be traced by the Force.

As the group disbanded, Valeria pulled Carp to the side. "You think this could be our opportunity?"

A determined smile appeared on his lips as he watched Isis walk away from the shelter. "I do."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 _Two days later_ …

Nanny looked over the spectacles sitting low on her nose at the young girl in front of her. "Your references are excellent, Isis. If all checks out, you can start work tomorrow. Plan on reporting to the Castle at 7:00 a.m. I will have your uniform and locker ready."

"Madam?"

"Yes, child?"

"Is there any housing in the Castle? As you can see, I live on the outskirts of the village and it would be a dreadfully long trip to and from the Castle each day." Isis gave Nanny her best innocent look as she wrung her small hands together.

"Hmmm." Nanny eyed the girl. She was a pretty little thing. Having her at the Castle would be just another temptation for that wild Lt. McClain. But she couldn't punish the girl for the pilot's wild ways. "Bring your things with you tomorrow. You'll be rooming with Betty." Standing, she indicated the interview was over. "Just be warned, Isis. The Voltron pilots are not from Arus and can be a little free with their ways. Be sure that you aren't."

Isis bobbed a curtsey and said, "Yes, madam." A smile was on her face as she left the room. Perhaps she could get in with one of the pilots and get even more info on Kogane and the princess. Glancing back at the shining Castle behind her as she walked across the bridge, she thought that this was an assignment she would really enjoy.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

 **Rating/Setting:** Rating is T for kissing and groping. I know, who knew that I would write a story with some mild groping? Flavor is DotU, but is part of the "Just a Kiss" story arc. 1. Just a Kiss, 2. Shirts vs Skins, 3. More, and , Answers, and Intrigue. You really need to read them all to make sense of the story. Stories 1-3 are all pretty short and should be a quick read if you are interested.

* * *

 **Chapter Five**

 _Several weeks after Isis was hired…_

Allura stood at the rail of the balcony on the northeast castle turret. This high up the wind whipped around billowing her pink skirt behind her and caused locks of her loose blonde hair to fly around her face. She was just muttering a few explicatives when she heard someone behind her.

"Tsk, tsk." Keith smiled as Allura whipped around to face him. "Such language from a princess."

A huge smile formed on her face as she pulled her hair around and began to plait it. "You know that Lance says much worse."

"Yes, but he's not a princess." Keith walked closer to join her at the rail.

Allura reached into a pocket on her skirt and pulled out a band to secure her plaited hair. Once done, she linked her arm with Keith's. This spot was one of the few in the castle that they felt safe being in close physical contact. It had been a month since Allura had determined that she and Keith belonged together.

When they met like this, they spent their time talking about their pasts, their likes and dislikes. And yes, they kissed. Keith made certain it didn't go further. Just a dating relationship would be enough to flip out many. If he and Allura were physically involved it would just make things worse in the long run. It was still with these thoughts in his mind that Keith asked, "Are you ready to talk to Coran now?"

Leaning her head against his strong arm, she sighed. "Keith, it's only been a month. I don't think that Coran will think that a month of being in love will be enough to convince him that we should marry."

"Probably not, but going months without telling him may make him angry too," Keith rationalized. He knew they were walking a narrow ledge with this. They needed to solidify their feelings before speaking to Coran, but they couldn't make the relationship stay in secret so long that he found out on his own. That would be disastrous.

Allura turned and wound her arms up around his neck, threading her fingers through his thick dark hair. She had found this to be a very good tactic when she wanted to distract Keith. While it was a diversionary tactic, it was also something she enjoyed doing.

The couple was so engrossed that they never heard the light footsteps on the stairwell. Isis' blonde head peered around the corner and with the mini-camera she had, she snapped a few pictures. The Circle would believe her without the pictures, but these pictures could be used for many things. With a smile on her face, she moved quietly back down the stairs.

Keith broke away from the kiss. "Did you hear something?"

Allura tried to pull his head back to hers. "Nothing but the beating of my heart."

Body tense, Keith stood still and listened. Nothing. His eyes finally turned back to Allura's face and he sighed. "You know we still need to be careful up here."

"I know."

He hugged her tightly. "I'll be glad when this is all out in the open and we can just be ourselves."

Hearing the question yet again in his voice, she said, "Soon, Keith. Just not yet. Please."

"All right," he said softly as he held her. "We'll do this your way."

XXXXXXXXXX

That evening Isis met Daphne outside a small village. Daphne had been stationed in the village for a few weeks in order to meet with Isis and get information. Isis hadn't had much intel to provide until now. Daphne could see the glow of success in Isis' eyes as she approached.

Isis took in Daphne's garb as a worker in the orchards that were located near the village. Daphne was a petite woman in her mid-thirties with wavy honey blonde hair that was similar in color to Isis' own. Unlike Valeria, who was weathered from her time after the Drule invasion, Daphne actually looked younger than her true age.

"You have news?" Daphne asked.

Holding up the small recorder, Isis replied, "Indeed. Just what we were looking for." Holding the device in her palm, she took a quick look around to make certain they were alone and then trigger the holo-emitter. A six-inch high image of the Voltron commander and the Arusian princess was now between them.

Daphne's eyes glowed as Isis shut down the image.

Isis handed the other woman the recorder and said, "They have been very careful. As far as I can tell, they meet like this rarely. Even though I couldn't catch them together before this, I could catch them stealing glances at each other." Her tone became a little wistful. "I am certain she will do what we ask to get him back."

The small recording device disappeared into one of the pockets on Daphne's apron. "Will you be coming back with me?"

"No," Isis said as she shook her head. "I will be of more use inside. I will let you know of planned events while the Circle makes plans for his capture." Isis looked carefully at Daphne. "They have more technology than I thought. The Circle will need to plan carefully if we are to be successful."

"We are working on it."

"Be sure to leave nothing to chance because the princess will bring everything she has to find him."

Daphne sensed the underlying warning in Isis' words. "You think we will fail?"

"I think this needs to be planned very carefully," she said after a moment. "I think I will ask off for a week so that I can tell you of the resources that the Force will have in their search for the commander."

Daphne nodded. "We will try to have a rudimentary plan ready when you come so that we can search for flaws and holes."

"I'll see you soon, then," Isis said as she turned to make her way back to the castle. The Circle had resources for technology. She just needed to make sure that they had those resources in place or the abduction of the commander would be an immediate failure.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

 **Rating/Setting:** Rating is T for kissing and groping. I know, who knew that I would write a story with some mild groping? Flavor is DotU, but is part of the "Just a Kiss" story arc. 1. Just a Kiss, 2. Shirts vs Skins, 3. More, and , Answers, and Intrigue. You really need to read them all to make sense of the story. Stories 1-3 are all pretty short and should be a quick read if you are interested.

 **Author's Notes:** The notification system seems to have had a glitch this week. If you didn't read chapter 5 that I posted on 5/2 you will want to read that first.

* * *

 **Chapter Six**

 _A couple of weeks after Isis and Daphne met…_

Lance watched Keith and Allura closely at breakfast. When he had first learned of their relationship, he had found it rather hard to believe. As much as he cared for Keith, Lance knew that he could be a stick in the mud. But watching them, he saw the small smiles, the brief touches, and the joking words that held an underlying message. His heart ached a little that he had missed out on this chance. For some reason he had never thought that the princess would even consider a pilot. But not only had she considered a pilot, she was determined to have one. Lance's eye strayed from Allura to the new maid that went behind his chair. What was her name? Isis? Letting his eye wander appreciatively over her frame, he thought, _Things worked out the way they should have_. As he caught the maid's eye, she winked at him. Smiling, he decided to see if Isis had a boyfriend.

Watching Allura from the corner of his eye, Keith wondered how he had gotten so lucky. He had been in love with Allura from the moment he had kissed her hand but never thought he'd have a chance with her. Now she had fallen in love with him. His only regret was that it was still secret. Letting out an uncharacteristic sigh, he figured that Allura knew more about royal politics than he did. He'd just have to wait until she decided the time was right.

 _The next morning…._

Isis lay in Lance McClain's arms. It was no sacrifice sleeping with the handsome pilot. He had given her several looks since she first started working, but yesterday was the first time he had given her more than a flirtatious glance. Betty, her roommate, had told her all about the pilots. How they all swooned over the darkly handsome commander who didn't flirt back and how many had stolen kisses from the devil may care Red Lion pilot. Village gossip had it that Lance had slept with a lot of the Castle maids, but the reality was that it was just a couple. He had been willing to stop at kissing with Isis, but she had pushed the matter. She needed more time with him to find out details.

Lance looked at the clock beside his bed. "Time to get up and get a shower. Want to join me?" He smiled lazily at her.

Running her hand across his bare chest, she said, "I think I'll just lie here a few minutes before I go. Maybe next time?"

Lance's smile broadened, "Maybe tomorrow morning?"

Isis laughed, "It's a date."

He sat up on the bed and then leaned over to kiss her. "I think it's a bit more than a date." Then with a wink he was up.

"Oh, can you check the custodial schedule for me? I'd hate for Nanny to have made a last minute change."

"No problem." Lance picked up his data pad and keyed in his password. Checking the schedule, he said, "You are not listed as being on-duty until lunch."

"Thanks, Lance."

Giving her another wink, he put the data pad down and went into the bathroom.

Isis waited tensely. The data pad would automatically revert to a lock-screen in short order but she couldn't risk Lance coming back out and finding her on the device. Hearing the water running, she jumped from the bed and rushed to the data pad. Going to the calendar she looked for up-coming events. Really large events would be on the primary Castle calendar as they needed a lot of planning and security. However, sometimes the princess just liked to pay surprise visits to her people. These were kept secret until the day they occurred. It was one of these type events that Isis wanted to find. Her eyes lit up. There were numerous small events listed over the next three months. A visit to Mynos was listed down for the next month. Her eyes scanned quickly over the information. Currently, it was just to be Keith, Lance, and the princess in a land speeder with Pidge and Hunk rotating between the Castle and flying cover in the Lions. She smiled as she moved back to the bed and put on her clothes. The Mynos visit would be the perfect time to snag the commander. Only a small twinge of guilt entered her mind but she quickly pushed it away. They were doing this for Arus.

XXXXXXXXXXX

A few days later, Isis left the Castle to ostensibly visit her family.

Back in the clothes and trappings of her regular life, Isis filled the Circle in on the up-coming trip to Mynos.

"It will be perfect," Carp said. "Garrett and Stoker won't dare fire on anyone. They're flying security because of Lotor. They won't be suspecting an attack from within."

"Yes," Morgan agreed, his deep voice resounding in the room. "Most certainly, Kogane will send the princess and McClain to the speeder while he holds off the attack."

"We'll have people in place to cut him off from the speeder and open fire on them as well. We'll also have a few people who will hang around the area where the vehicle is so that they will feel compelled to leave with the speeder so innocent by-standers don't get hurt." Valeria had a gleam in her eye. Everything was falling into place.

Kareem looked thoughtful. He was around Valeria's age and while his hair was a light shade of brown, it was sprinkled with gray just as hers was. "The information that Isis gave us earlier indicates that the Castle and the Lions have exceptional tracking and sensor capabilities." He turned to Loretta and asked. "What ways have you come up with for us to hide ourselves and our hostage?"

Loretta had just turned forty and had training in the little technology that had been left in the countryside after the invasion. Since the rebuilding had begun, she had been one of the ones who had been given access to interstellar communication and technical knowledge. Her dark auburn hair showed no signs of gray and it was just long enough to be pulled into a ponytail at the nape of her neck.

"Once we had decided upon taking the commander, I used my resources to purchase a small cloaking device on the black market. It will mask thermal and bio-signatures in the location we plan to use to hold the commander. It will be on the craft that we transport him in and as long as they can't visually track us, then we'll get away cleanly."

"That means we'll have to take a route through the forest for at least part of the journey to Bellamy so that we can switch our mode of transportation," Kareem said.

Carp was still looking at Loretta as Kareem discussed the best mode of transport. Carp was an attractive man of about thirty with light brown hair. He too was involved in some of the rebuilding although his skills were more in the lines of architecture and building equipment, not technology. However, he did have some knowledge about the cost of things. Finally, his voice cut through the chatter. "Cloaking technology isn't cheap, especially on the black market. There's no way you had the funds for that. What did you promise these pirates?"

All talking ceased as faces turned to Loretta. They all knew that she was the most bitter about the Drule invasion and the lack of response by the Alliance. It had only grown as she had seen through news agencies what the Alliance was doing to assist other worlds. Knowing that Arus had been left to rot under the thumb of the Drules until the Alliance wanted to resurrect Voltron sat like lead in her stomach.

"Well?" Carp asked again. Tension started to build when Loretta didn't answer quickly.

With a measured tone, she replied, "I told them they would have the chance to get some very valuable information about the Alliance."

"How?" Isis asked apprehensively. She didn't like where this was going at all.

"I told them that they would have the opportunity to question a high-ranking Garrison officer."

Chaos erupted until Valeria brought it back under control. "Explain yourself, Loretta. We never talked about turning the commander over to anyone."

Loretta's eyes swept the group. "I didn't say we'd hand him over. I just said they could question him. I'm sure he has knowledge of codes used for communication and probably of fleet deployments. I don't mind if the Alliance takes a few hits because of this. They deserve it after what they did to Arus."

"This could be dangerous. You let a group of black market dealers know that we'd be taking one of the Voltron Force," Daphne voiced for the group. Anyone with a brain could figure out that a high-ranking Garrison officer on planet Arus would have to be one of the Force members. This would also give them the knowledge that Voltron would be out of commission during that time.

"You wanted the technology to mask his presence. This was the only way!" Loretta's tone increased. Irritation was evident in her words. "Kidnapping people and blackmailing governments isn't a clean business. Hands have to get dirty and sometimes people get hurt. You're all childish if you think we could all come out of this without any dirt and blood on our hands."

She only voiced what they all knew but didn't want to admit to. Each knew she was right. It was a dangerous game they played and the commander was sure to get hurt. These pirates would want something in payment and they would hurt him to get it. Blood was inevitable as Kogane wouldn't give up any information willingly.

Isis was particularly troubled as she left. Daphne had sensed it and walked beside her as they exited. "You're not changing your mind are you?"

"No," Isis said but there wasn't a lot of conviction behind it.

Daphne stayed her by laying a hand on her arm. "They won't kill him, they will just want to get information that they can sell."

It made sense, but Isis had a feeling that Loretta was right about one thing. They were childish. They had been out of the loop for almost a decade and didn't know how to play on a stage this large. She _had_ thought that they could get out of this without blood on their hands. She knew that feelings would be hurt and there would be bumps and bruises but she didn't expect anything… lethal. Shaking her head, Isis said quietly, "I won't see him hurt."

Daphne's eyes narrowed. "Are you backing out on this?"

"No, I'm not. I'm just saying that I will do everything I can to make sure he's returned to the princess unharmed," Isis calmly replied and began walking again.

"That's what we all want," Daphne retorted.

"Is it?" Isis said stopping and looking back at Daphne. "After hearing Loretta talk, I'm not so certain. Keep an eye on her," Isis finished as she went to the hover cycle she had rented to travel to the meeting.

Daphne watched her drive away. "But who's going to keep an eye on you?" she asked softly to herself.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

 **Rating/Setting:** Rating is T for kissing and groping. I know, who knew that I would write a story with some mild groping? Flavor is DotU, but is part of the "Just a Kiss" story arc. 1. Just a Kiss, 2. Shirts vs Skins, 3. More, and , Answers, and Intrigue. You really need to read them all to make sense of the story. Stories 1-3 are all pretty short and should be a quick read if you are interested.

 **Author's Notes:** The notification system seems to have had a glitch this week. If you didn't read chapter 5 that I posted on 5/2 and chapter 6 that posted 5/6 you will want to read those first.

* * *

 **Chapter Seven**

Hunk watched as Keith stared at the princess as she left the dining area. He put another forkful of mac and cheese in his mouth without even looking. Chewing it slowly, he watched as Keith returned to his meal only after the door closed behind her. Something was going on. His eyes swung to Pidge who was looking at something on his data pad. Coran was talking to a maid and Lance…. Lance was looking at him and shaking his head 'no.' Hunk got the message. Something was going on, but he wasn't to say anything.

Hunk waited for Lance to finish his meal and then he followed him out. "What's going on?" Hunk asked in the corridor.

Looking both ways, Lance replied, "Not here. Let's go to the maintenance bay."

The two men walked in silence until they arrived in the bay. None of the Lions were in the bay for repairs at the moment, so there was no activity. Hunk went over to a work station and started to pick up tools and put them away. Anyone coming in would think they were just tidying up the area.

"Why the secrecy?" Hunk asked.

Lance leaned back against a tall tool chest and watched the primary entrance to the bay. "It's Keith and Allura."

Hunk stopped cleaning off a greasy wrench. "What do you mean 'Keith and Allura'?"

This wasn't going to be easy. "I mean that they're seeing each other."

"As in dating?" Hunk's voice had gotten louder.

Lance frowned at Hunk and shushed him. "Yes, like in dating."

"Why are Pidge and I the last to know?"

The look on Hunk's face told Lance that Hunk was angry. He couldn't blame him. They were friends and they had been left out. "Keith and Allura want to keep this quiet for now. They're afraid of Coran and Nanny's reactions as well as those of a few Council members."

After toweling off his hands, Hunk tossed the greasy rag into a bin and then crossed his muscular arms over his chest. "Well, they told you."

"Yes, but they didn't mean too." Lance could tell this wasn't going to go very well.

"So that makes it okay. You know, but it was an accident." Hunk's eyes narrowed as Lance shrugged. "So, if you hadn't seen me looking at the two of them tonight I'd still be in the dark."

Lance didn't have an answer for that. What could he say to make it better? Should he even try to make it better? "You should talk to Keith."

"You bet I'm going to talk to Keith," Hunk said as he angrily strode from the room.

Lance watched him go with some trepidation. He'd follow in a few minutes. He might be needed to referee.

Keith had just entered his office when Hunk walked in behind him. "Hi, Hunk, what can I do for you?"

The keypad of the door made a cracking sound as Hunk punched it to close the door. "I just learned from Lance that you and the Princess are dating."

"He had no right-"

"Well, what rights do I have, Commander? I saw how the two of you were looking at each other. He wanted to make sure I didn't say anything in front of Coran." He saw Keith's look of surprise. "Yeah, he was protecting you." His tone got a little louder as he said, "But you wouldn't have needed protecting if you had just clued Pidge and me in."

"You're right," Keith said, looking him in the eye. "I messed up."

"You're darned right you did," Hunk exclaimed. "That's our lives on the line out there, Commander! We deserved to know."

Keith arched a brow at Hunk, "Because you would have acted differently in battle?" He saw Hunk stop and think. "Because you think that I would act different? That maybe I would try to protect her too much?"

The angry tone and tension in the room lessened. "Well, no. We would still do everything to protect her."

"So what part of your life was in more danger because of the relationship between Allura and me?"

Hunk shifted uneasily from foot to foot.

Keith put his hands behind his head and tilted his head to look back at the ceiling. "I made a bad decision in not telling you and Pidge. However, I would never do anything to endanger this team."

"I know that," Hunk said somewhat sheepishly. "I guess I was just surprised."

"And angry."

"Yes. Everyone knows that Lance is your best friend. I just thought that he had been included and we hadn't."

Keith let his arms drop. "He found out by accident. When he found out…" Keith looked at Hunk and said, "That's a story for another time. Probably one that would embarrass Allura to death."

Laughing, Hunk said, "That sounds like a great story."

"Like I said, another time. Okay?"

"Okay."

Keith moved around to his desk and said, "I'm going to call Pidge in. You can both hear at least part of the story together. Part of the story belongs to Allura and you'll have to wait on that."

Dropping his heavy frame into a chair in the office, he said, "I can live with that."

Keith smiled at his friend and made the call to Pidge.

 _Elsewhere in the Castle…_

Coran sat behind his desk with steepled fingers in front of him. His gaze focused on the point of his fingers but his eyes didn't see anything. The royal advisor was deep in thought. Coran heard a throat being cleared and sat up in his seat. "Yes, Corporal?" he asked the young castle guard in front of him.

Corporal Kiger stepped inside the door and it closed soundlessly behind him. "Um, you asked me to let you know if I saw anything odd going on with Commander Kogane."

"Come in and have a seat. This isn't an interrogation." Coran moved from behind his desk to the casual seating area. He knew the young guard wasn't thrilled with the task that the advisor had given him. "Do you have something to report?"

Kiger sat down and rubbed his hands nervously on his pants. "I, I just want to say once again, Coran, that I-"

Coran interrupted him and said. "I'm not looking to charge the Commander with anything. I'm just concerned that they may not be telling me everything that is going on." Just this morning, he had seen an interaction between Lance and Hunk that indicated some sort of secrecy and he believed it was in regards to the princess and their commander. Coran was just trying to confirm his suspicions. Suspicions that had been raised after a trip to a local village and some gossip he had heard.

Drawing a deep breath, Kiger felt a little better. After all, it wasn't much to report. It couldn't get the commander in any trouble. "Well, this morning, Sergeant Garrett went off with Lieutenant McClain for about an hour. When he came back by my post, he seemed to be angry and I heard him muttering the Commander's name. I followed him and heard him yelling at the Commander in his office. A short while later, Sergeant Stoker joined them. I left at that point."

Looking thoughtfully at the young man, Coran said, "Thank you, Corporal. I appreciate you doing this even though I know you have your doubts." He stood and the guard stood with him and then left the room. The princess and Keith had been showing signs of familiarity that hadn't been there a couple of weeks ago. The rather formal commander seemed to be softening around the princess.

Coran looked at the door for a moment and then moved to stand at his window. He looked out into the sunny afternoon. The weather would be changing in a month. Where had the summer gone? His hand went up to his moustache in an unconscious habit. When had Allura grown up into a young woman? He had known this day was coming. From the moment the young space explorers arrived, he knew that things would change. Coran just hadn't planned for this. He closed his eyes and thought of Alfor. The ghostly king had indicated that he approved of the explorers. Had he meant that he approved of them as possible suitors for his daughter?

A sense of peace came over Coran as he thought of Alfor. Looking out the window at the bright sunlight, he smiled. There was no doubt that Alfor was signaling his approval. Personally, Coran approved of the Voltron Commander as a mate for Allura. He was kind, knowledgeable, patient, and from what he could tell, he loved the young princess with all his heart. Keith had already shown he would give his life for her. What more could he ask for? Nothing. Coran let out a deep breath. However, there were those on Arus who would like more- a royal title perhaps, great wealth, or connections. Keith had neither.

Coran wished that Keith and Allura felt comfortable enough to come to him with their feelings. But then, he also understood why they hadn't. Obviously, the Force was now learning about the relationship. At least that's what he assumed after what he had seen this morning. Well, he'd let the young people work things out a little longer before he went to the couple and told them his suspicions.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

 **Rating/Setting:** Rating is T for kissing and groping. I know, who knew that I would write a story with some mild groping? Flavor is DotU, but is part of the "Just a Kiss" story arc. 1. Just a Kiss, 2. Shirts vs Skins, 3. More, and , Answers, and Intrigue. You really need to read them all to make sense of the story. Stories 1-3 are all pretty short and should be a quick read if you are interested.

* * *

 **Chapter Eight**

 _About a month later…_

Lance gave Isis another kiss as they stood in the corridor outside Castle Control. "I've got to go now, Isis. Keith and the princess are waiting for me."

Isis' hands lingered on his arms and she looked down. She had to get control of herself. "I know." Looking up into his green eyes, she said, "I'll just miss you, is all."

Laughing, he put a hand to the side of her face. "I'll just be gone for the day. I'll be back this evening." A thoughtful look came into his eyes. "Say, how about we have a quiet romantic dinner. Just the two of us?"

"That sounds wonderful."

"Then it's set. I'll take care of everything. I'll call you on our way back so you can get ready." With another quick kiss he turned and went into Control.

Isis watched the doors close with worried eyes. There would be no romantic dinner tonight. Lance would be in a frenzy over his missing friend. The members of the Circle had orders not to kill any of the princess' party, but it was possible that Lance would be injured. She closed her eyes and turned away from the control room. When had her thoughts on this whole plan began to change? Perhaps it was when Loretta had begun voicing thoughts that had more to do with vengeance against the Alliance than improvements to the Arusian government. Walking towards the Rec Room to begin her cleaning schedule for the day, she considered the possibility that her thoughts began to change after she kissed Lance McClain. As she got to know the Red Lion pilot, she realized that this young man didn't want to take anything from Arus. He only wanted to help. The other three young men were just the same. And having seen Keith and Allura together, she couldn't imagine either of them with anyone else. Shaking her head, she only hoped that the mission would go as planned and that the other leaders of the Circle would keep Loretta in check.

XXXXXXXXXX

Keith glanced at Allura who was sitting in the front seat of the hovercraft with him. Her hair was whipping around her face and she was laughing.

"We probably should have taken one of the enclosed vehicles," she said as she continued to laugh and pull hair from her face.

"Awww, you'll look beautiful, Princess," Lance said from the backseat.

Turning to look at the pilot, Allura's long hair practically obscured her face. Pulling it to the side, she said, "That's easy for you to say, Lance. All you and Keith need to do is run your fingers through your hair a couple of times and you're done. I'm sure I will need at least fifteen minutes to brush through this mess," said good-naturedly.

"You know your subjects won't care about your hair that much. They'll just be pleased to see you and talk with you," Keith said.

"I know. But I want to look my best. Can't have you boys getting all the admiring looks, you know." Allura knew that whenever she went anywhere with Keith and Lance there was sure to be an admiring group of girls around. Now that she and Keith were a couple, well, she just wished all the girls knew he was taken.

"Too bad, Princess. You know that wherever I go, admiring looks are sure to follow," Lance said with a smirk.

The rest of the trip continued with friendly joking and conversation about Mynos. The city was split in two by the River Azure but the three major bridges connecting both sides had already been rebuilt. Rebuilding here was further along than in the other two cities on this side of Arus. Mynos was a perfect example of what Arus could look like all over in just a few years. The gleaming river, the mountains nearby with rolling foothills and lush forests made for a beautiful vista.

Allura looked at the sight in front of her and said, "So much beauty." Shaking her head, she turned to Keith. "The Raytac Mountains there with their foothills were a major location of survival bunkers and caves." Looking back at the mountains, she said, "So much beauty but still strong enough to hide and protect my people."

"Keith?" Hunk's voice broke in as they neared the first stop on their visit.

"What is it, Hunk?" Keith asked as he slowed the craft.

"I don't know. Some weird power reading for just a few moments."

"Did you recognize the power signature?" Keith asked with concern as he stopped the craft to get more information.

"Negative. It wasn't a large reading. It was something small."

"Do you have anything on scanners or see anything in the area of concern?" Lance asked from the back.

Hunk ran a couple of different scans. "I don't have anything of concern. No Drule power signatures."

Keith turned to Lance. Allura looked at the two of them as she ran a brush through her hair. "No way, boys."

Both men turned to her.

"I know what you're thinking. However, one unusual power-reading doesn't mean that anything is dangerous is going on." Allura continued pulling the brush through her hair. "Give me something a little more concrete and I'll listen. But for now, let's go on as planned. I've been looking forward to this for two months."

Lance rolled his eyes at Keith. "She has a point."

Keith looked to the forest around them and the building that could be seen just ahead. They had already been spotted and he knew that children would already be gathering to meet their princess. "You'll follow my commands if there is danger?"

"Don't I always?" Allura asked with big blue eyes looking innocently at Keith.

A snort of laughter came from the backseat. "Good luck, Keith."

Allura's innocent eyes went deadly as she shot daggers from them at Lance, who just laughed all the more.

Keith sighed as he began moving the craft forward. "I'll need all the luck I can get, buddy," Keith joked.

Turning her eyes back to the road ahead, Allura grabbed at her hair as the vehicle picked up speed. "Aaaaack!" Allura squealed and added, "Slow down or my hair will be a mess again!"

Laughter and joking banter could be heard from the royal craft as it entered the city outskirts.

XXXXXXXXXX

The day passed pleasantly with meeting, greeting, and eating. On their flying shifts, both Pidge and Hunk landed to let the residents and children get a close up look at a Lion. Finally the shadows of the day began to lengthen and Keith whispered in Allura's ear that it was time to go.

As his eyes moved carefully along the crowd, Keith said, "Lance, let's be extra careful. Even though there were no more unusual power signatures, that one came from somewhere."

"I didn't realize you had any level besides 'extra careful'," Lance joked, but his hand was on his blaster holstered on his hip.

Keith felt the reassuring pressure of his own blaster under his hand and the steady swing of his lazon sword on his other leg. Something just didn't feel right. "Hunk, run a scan again. Are you sure there aren't any Drule signatures."

"Hold on," Hunk's voice came through the earpiece. "No Drule signatures."

The hovercraft was in sight when he caught the glint of a blaster from behind a tree. Moving up beside Lance, he said, "Get Allura to the hovercraft. I can see at least one blaster in the trees to our left."

Lance took Allura's hand and began to walk a little more quickly in the direction of the craft.

It was unusual for Lance to take her hand so Allura knew something was up. She looked behind them to see that Keith was lagging back, his hand hovering near his blaster. She tried to keep her features neutral as she whispered to Lance, "What's going on?"

"Someone in the trees is armed. Keith is watching them and looking for more. My job is to get you safely to the hovercraft."

Allura hesitated in her steps as she said, "But Keith-"

Whatever Allura was going to say was lost as Keith yelled, "Run!" Hearing his commander, Lance pulled on Allura's hand and began dragging her towards the craft. "Let's go, Princess!" he demanded as he felt her resist his lead. "You said you'd follow his commands. Now do it!" His voice was harsh. If Keith said, 'Run,' there was good reason to run.

Glancing over her shoulder, Allura saw Keith kneeling behind a large potted plant leaning around to take shots into the trees. Here attention was drawn forward as a blaster bolt hit one of the planters in front of them sending shards of concrete and dirt around them.

"Hunk! We need you, buddy!" Lance called into the communicator.

"I see you, but I can't find anyone that I can safely take a shot out without hurting civilians." The frustration in Hunk's voice was evident.

"Do what you can. Can you get any thermal signatures in the tree line?" They were fifty yards from the craft when smoke bombs came hurtling into the area distorting their vision.

"Yes. I have five bodies in the-" Hunk's voice broke off. "Wait. That power signature is back and now I don't have any readings for that area."

"A cloak!" Allura called out.

Lance looked at her grimly.

Keith's voice came through the device. "Get her out of here, Lance! If they get her with the cloak here at night-"

He didn't need to say more. "I'll get her out safe," Lance said back as he fired a shot off into the trees as they ran. The attack on them seemed a little half-hearted, which was odd. They obviously weren't trying to kill them. "How about you, Commander?"

"I'm moving in your direction but they keep shooting and firing those blasted smoke bombs," Keith's voice was getting raspy from the smoke and he coughed several times. It would be great if Hunk could use that wind tunnel of his, but there were still too many civilians huddled in the area that could be hurt by that powerful weapon.

Lance glance behind him and his eyes widened in apprehension. There were a lot more smoke bombs behind them than in front of them where they should have been if the princess was the object of the attack. He realized now, that she wasn't. "Get out of there now, Keith! Run!"

Keith was a soldier and even though he was commander, he trusted his team to lead him in the right direction when he needed help. Lance saw or knew something that he didn't. As for himself, he couldn't see anything and wondered how Lance and Allura were making it to the craft. Running in the right direction he broke through a cloud of smoke and saw that the air in front of him was much clearer- and then it wasn't. More smoke bombs and something else. Something that was making him dizzy.

Climbing into the hovercraft, Allura said, "What's wrong, Lance?" Fear laced her words as she knew his answer would be one she didn't like.

Lance saw Keith running from the smoke only to be shrouded in it once again. "Strafe that tree line, Hunk! Shoot high!"

"Got it, Lieutenant!" Moments later, the sound of bullets hitting the trees could be heard. A number of leaves and branches fell to the ground with the barrage. As Hunk rounded to fly back over, he said, "Castle troops are on the way in hovercraft."

Lance had taken the craft only a hundred yards away from the area. Keith would kill him if something happened to Allura but he feared to go further with the suspicions he harbored. Now that Hunk had fired those shots he took the craft back toward the smoking area. "Get down!" he snapped at Allura who started to stand up. "Commander, we're coming back in for you." He paused. "Keith?"

Huddling down in the craft, she said, "What's going on?"

No more shots were coming from the trees and the smoke was starting to dissipate. The people who were attacking them had gone. His eyes searched the ground in front of him as looked for Keith's body. He wasn't there.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

 **Rating/Setting:** Rating is T for kissing and groping. I know, who knew that I would write a story with some mild groping? Flavor is DotU, but is part of the "Just a Kiss" story arc. 1. Just a Kiss, 2. Shirts vs Skins, 3. More, and , Answers, and Intrigue. You really need to read them all to make sense of the story. Stories 1-3 are all pretty short and should be a quick read if you are interested.

* * *

 **Chapter Nine**

 _They took Keith_ , Lance thought to himself. He needed to check the area while it was still fresh, but he needed Allura to be safe. And that wasn't going to be easy. She would want to be in the thick of things and that was dangerous right now. Lance turned the craft back towards an open area as Allura pulled herself from the cramped floorboard of the vehicle to the seat.

Looking around, Allura said, "Where's Keith?"

Lance didn't answer but pressed the com. "Hunk, I need you to set down asap. You can land at the spot you did earlier today."

Hunk didn't question the request. He automatically knew something was wrong when Keith wasn't giving him the orders.

"I asked you once already. Where's Keith?" Allura was still looking behind them as if Keith would appear on a hover cycle any moment.

"They took him."

"What do you mean, 'they took him?' Why would they take him?" Allura's mind raced for answers.

"Well, the obvious reason would be that he's the Commander of the Force and the ranking Alliance officer on-planet." Lance wasn't sure if that was all it was or not. Keith and Allura were keeping their relationship secret, but he had heard some gossip in the village. What if someone believed the gossip that Arusian monarch was in love with the Commander?

"You don't think they'll hurt him do you?" Allura asked with a touch of frenzy.

Unsure what might happen to Keith, Lance said, "We're going to search for him and see if we can find him. In the meantime, you need to go to the Castle and wait to see if they issue any ransom requests."

"Ransom requests? For Keith?" Allura sounded perplexed.

Lance took a calming, soft tone as spoke. "Allura. These weren't Drules capturing Keith to torture and kill him. These were Arusians. They probably want something from the Alliance." Or you. But he couldn't voice that thought yet. They needed more info.

The Yellow Lion was lying in the clearing in front of him. Hunk was jumping down from the top hatch when they sped up. "Hunk, I need you to take Allura back to the Castle. When you've dropped her off, come back and help me begin a search for Keith."

"Sure thing, Lieutenant." Hunk took Allura by the arm. She still seemed dazed by the whole event. "Come on, Princess. You know how this works."

She shook her head as if to clear the cobwebs. "I'm going to change and come back to help," she said to Lance.

"After you've changed and spoken to Coran. He needs to agree to it." Allura's head tilted up but she didn't argue. Lance knew that didn't mean she'd agreed with him or even that she was going to follow his request. It was merely an acknowledgement. As Allura made her way to Yellow Lion, Lance followed and had Hunk stop for moment. When he was beside the larger man, he said, "Be sure that Coran follows protocol and contacts Sven on Pollux."

Hunk gave a worried glance to the princess and back. "Will do." With that he ran to catch up to Allura who was already beginning her climb up the Lion.

With one last look at his teammates, Lance jogged back to the hover craft. Vaulting into the driver's seat, he swung the vehicle around. Time to begin his investigation.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Three hours later, Lance was stymied. It was if the assailants had appeared out of thin air and disappeared back into it with Keith. That unusual power signature had been a cloaking device that masked all large thermal signature and humanoid bio-signatures in its radius. Whoever took Keith didn't want to be found and had planned this in advance. The locals in the area of the attack reported seeing masked men and women in non-descript clothing. Nothing stood out amongst them as even their hair was covered. They had stolen two hovercrafts in order to transport themselves and Keith away from the scene. Both craft were found half a mile away in an isolated area. Chances were that they had other transportation waiting and that the group split up after removing their disguises.

 _How?_ Lance asked himself. _The visit was just announced this morning. It was one of those seemingly spur of the moment visits that was actually planned in advance_. This was a well-coordinated attack. It bore the markings of someone with some military training… or someone who had practiced guerilla warfare on the Drules during the war. They were also people who were in contact with the black market to get a cloaking device. He had left the soldiers from the castle still conducting interviews with citizens to see if anyone saw anything unusual. The castle loomed ahead of him. A gleaming silver wonder lit up against the night sky. He wished he was bringing back something more concrete. Right now the only clue he had been able to relay to the castle were two words: the Circle. People had whispered it in hushed tones when he had asked if anyone in the area might wish the princess or the Force harm. While people said the name, no one could name anyone who was a part of it. Hopefully, Coran and Pidge had dug up something on this mysterious 'Circle.'

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 _Earlier in the evening_ ….

Allura had rushed into the Castle to find Coran and Nanny waiting. As soon as Allura got out, Hunk took back off to Mynos.

"Are you all right, my child?" Nanny asked frantically as she looked over the princess.

"Yes, I'm fine!" Allura turned to Coran. "Has there been any contact with the people that took Keith?"

"I'm afraid not, Princess. In fact, you know more of what is going on than we do. We have only had brief communication with the Lance and Hunk. Pidge is using the satellites to search for clues but with no luck at the moment."

"Come, Princess. This must have been very stressful. Let's get you a warm bath-"

"Nanny!" Allura said with exasperation. "Keith has been abducted by our people. I need to do what I can to help find him."

The governess was going to argue with Allura over her place, but she could sense that such talk would not be welcomed. She also felt that Coran would side with the princess on this. "Very well," she said haughtily. "I will make sure that your room is ready for you when you retire."

"Thank you, Nanny," Allura said before turning back to Coran. "I want to go to Control and help Pidge before I head out to assist with the search."

"Of course, Princess," Coran said as he fell into step beside her. "Let's see what Pidge has before heading out on a search."

Allura frowned a little, but nodded and then stated, "Lance said that they took Keith because he's an Alliance officer and they want something from the Alliance," Allura said. "Do you agree?"

Coran thought for a moment. It was the most likely possibility. There was another one, but didn't want to voice that one yet. "It is a very good possibility." It could be as simple as the fact that he was Alliance. Perhaps they would have just as happily taken Lance if he had been the one left on his own. Coran's thinking continued as he walked with Allura. Why didn't they take one of the Force while they were out around the Castle? Wouldn't that have been simpler? No, the castle defenses would have been too close and they would have to be ready at all times as there was no schedule of when a Force member might leave the castle alone or in a small group. This event with the Princess was planned ahead for months. The only ones who knew about it were the Force, Allura, and himself. The preciseness of the attack indicated it was well-planned. Coran's eyes narrowed. There was a spy in the castle. And if there was a spy here gathering information, had that spy noticed the looks between the commander and the princess?

When they arrived at Castle Control, Allura went immediately over to Pidge while Coran went to a computer console. He checked the staff for today. Everyone scheduled to work had reported for duty. Tomorrow morning would tell the tale if someone provided intel and then took off. If everyone reported to work, then he and Lance had some work to do. Someone was either hacking into their system from outside, or it was an inside job. In which case, they would need to find the viper in their midst. Coran left the console and went over to where Allura and Pidge were looking at something on his screen.

"I just don't see anything, Princess. There aren't any red flags in the system indicating that someone was snooping around."

"And there's nothing that we can do to find Keith? No way to track him?" she asked.

Pidge looked up at her with sad eyes. "I'm sorry, Princess, but there's no way to track him right now with that cloaking device working. If they contact us in any electronic way, I might be able to track them then. But if they thought of the cloak, they might also know ways around my tracking methods."

"Then I think we should start looking into Arusian dissidents with this kind of knowledge," Coran said from behind them. He saw the look on Allura's face. And softened his tone as he added, "You said yourself that our people had taken Keith. If it was indeed our people, then they would be dissenters with technical and military knowledge." He looked to Pidge and said, "I'm thinking at least one or more would have been part of the guerrilla warfare groups that worked against the Drule when they came on raiding parties after the war. Since this attack took place in Mynos, they must have a group operating in that area. Check the databanks for known patriots during the Drule occupation."

PIdge nodded and turned to the screen while Coran moved over to put an arm around Allura's shoulders.

A short while later a printout was ready for Coran and Allura to look over. There were quite a few names they would have to check on. They had just started looking over the list when Lance reported in. There wasn't much of anything to report so far, but he wanted to have them check for information on a group called the Circle.

Alllura frowned and said, "I have seen the name in a few reports, but nothing to indicate that they could do something of this size."

"Well, check a little more. Either they've been laying low waiting for a chance like this or they have backing from someone else," Lance said. "I'll let you know if I find out anything else."

Coran and Allura just looked at each other. Neither of the suggestions from Lance made them feel any better. The oppressive silence was broken by Pidge.

"I'll see what I can find on this Circle and also correlate it with the list you already have."

Allura looked back down at the list. What would a group of dissidents do to Keith? What would they ask her for? She knew that bargaining with them was bad. It would just show that kidnapping could get them things they wanted. But how was she to say no when they had Keith. She closed her eyes and drew a deep breath. _They have Keith._

Coran looked with sadness on his young charge. She was just now realizing the quandary she was in with these kidnappers. He could only pray that the Circle, or whoever they were, only thought that Keith was a friend to Allura and nothing more.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

 **Rating/Setting:** Rating is T for kissing and groping. I know, who knew that I would write a story with some mild groping? Flavor is DotU, but is part of the "Just a Kiss" story arc. 1. Just a Kiss, 2. Shirts vs Skins, 3. More, and , Answers, and Intrigue. You really need to read them all to make sense of the story. Stories 1-3 are all pretty short and should be a quick read if you are interested.

* * *

 **Chapter Ten**

As Keith regained consciousness, his first thought was that he was nauseated and his second thought was that he had a pounding headache. A hand went automatically to his head and then stilled immediately when he heard an unfamiliar voice.

"I think we gave you too much of the sedative. Side-effects are vomiting, stomach cramps, and headaches." Seeing the green look on his captive's face, he added, "There's a trashcan right beside your bed."

No sooner were the words out than Keith leaned over and vomited into the bin. Keith spit a couple times to clear his mouth. The foul fumes rose to him from the can and he laid back on the bed to keep from throwing up again. He had only opened his eyes long enough to find the trashcan and then had shut them again as the light seemed blinding to him.

"Where am I?" he asked as he felt the sheet beneath him. The bed he was laying on felt very comfortable but he didn't think he was in a hospital.

"You're a guest of the Circle," Morgan Cane said. He was in the leadership of the Circle and had been the one that carried Keith into the forest to the speeder. Morgan was 48 and had been with Valeria in the resistance after the invasion. He was an imposing figure standing six feet tall with a muscular build and a shaved head. Construction was his current occupation and one that he enjoyed.

Keith carefully opened one eye before closing it. "Is there any way you can dim the lights or is that asking too much?"

Morgan moved to a panel and flipped a switch. Half the lights in the room went out. "Better?"

Keith opened one eye and then another. "Yes." Carefully he sat up and moved his legs off the bed. Leaning his head over, he caught his breath as another wave of nausea hit him. His eye cut over to the trash bin that he had already used and saw that it had a liner. Carefully, he pulled it over and tied it up, cutting off the smell that wasn't helping anything.

"If you bring that over to the door, I'll get rid of that for you. If you think you're finished with it."

Looking around his cell, Keith saw a toilet and a sink in the corner. "I think I can make it to the toilet if I need to." With unsteady steps, he made his way to the barred door. Setting the bin down next to it, he backed up and sat back down on the bed.

"Lie down on it if you don't mind," Morgan said.

Even as he complied with the request, Keith said, "Don't worry, I don't think I could do you any harm right now."

Morgan opened the door and removed the bin. "Even so, I'm not taking any chances. You didn't get where you are in Garrison without having some skills."

The sounds of the man moving across the room to a waste disposal reached Keith's ears. He continued to lie down as it helped both his head and stomach. But his eyes roamed the 12x12 cell he was in. Two of the walls seemed to be solid rock which also made up the ceiling and floor. The other two walls were reinforced bars with only one locked door. As he had already noted, there was a sink, toilet and a bed. Nothing else.

Keith saw the man come back to the door. He was tall, about his height but with more weight and wore a hooded shirt and a mask over the upper part of his face. "So what is the plan?" Keith asked.

"We'll be contacting Princess Allura and ask for some changes. She complies and you'll be returned safely."

"Who is 'we?'" Keith asked.

"The Circle. We just want Arusians to have more say in the government and in Voltron."

Keith heard a door open and several voices coming in their direction. "The Princess would have listened to you without kidnapping me. She values the opinion and input of her people."

A feminine snort could be heard from behind the large man. Keith slowly sat up to see that the man was now flanked by two shorter women. "The Princess has made no effort to train any Arusians to fly the Voltron Lions. She is totally going by what the Alliance tells her to do."

"Do you really believe that?" Keith asked. "If that were true, the Alliance would have taken the Lions from Arus months ago. The Princess has told them that the Lions belong on Arus and they have accepted her terms for Voltron's use when off-planet."

"What about Arusian's flying the Lions? You only have five trained pilots available. What happens if one of you is-"

"Kidnapped?" Keith asked with a touch of sarcasm. He could see the anger in the woman's eyes so he continued quickly. "We have done some training but the pilots are not at the point of being able to fly the mechas yet. Perhaps you heard about the nightmare job that Coran and Nanny did that one time they flew the ships?"

"But the Princess flies and she didn't have any training before."

"You're right and I can't explain it. She has managed to become an excellent pilot with little previous training."

The woman's eyes narrowed. "Then perhaps you're not trying very hard."

Keith just shook his head. "Nothing I can say will appease you."

"You're right," the woman (who was Loretta) snapped. "We need to talk to the Princess."

The three went to leave when Keith said, "She won't negotiate with you. Let me go and I will take your concerns to her. She'll meet with the Council-"

The other woman (Valeria) cut him off. "The Council bends too much to the Princess. They should insist on more assistance in materials and aid from the Alliance and they should be making sure that Arusians are flying Voltron."

"She won't negotiate."

Valeria walked back to the bars and held up a holo-projector. With a click, an image of Keith and Allura in a passionate embrace was floating in the air just outside the bars. "I think she would do a lot to get you back… Commander."

Keith remained silent as she turned off the image and walked from the room with the others.

Staring at the bars, one word flashed in his mind: _SPY!_

XXXXXXXXXX

Lance walked into Castle Control and braced himself for the mad rush that was Princess Allura. She hadn't changed from earlier in the day and she hadn't left Control since she arrived.

"What are we going to do, Lance?" she whispered.

He held her tight. There was no feeling of passion, only friendship. "We're going to find him. That's what we're going to do." Lance looked up and caught Coran's eye. "Hunk's on his way back. When he gets here, we need to have a meeting."

"Indeed, Lieutenant," Coran agreed. He sensed that Lance had come to the same conclusion that he had. "In the meantime, Allura and I will gather what we have learned." The advisor turned to Pidge. "Do you need me to get anything for you, Pidge?"

"No, sir. I'll be able to transfer my findings to the conference room."

"When you leave that station, be sure to lock it," Coran said meaningfully.

Pidge didn't bat an eye. "Of course."

It wasn't long before Hunk arrived, but it had seemed an eternity as everyone wanted to share their news. When he arrived they moved quickly into the conference room off the main control room.

Hunk said, "I think I should go first because I have the least to share. I found nothing on my scans of the area. I saw nothing on my fly-overs and I heard nothing on any of the audio channels I scanned. It's like they arrived and left by a magic wand."

"That matches what the Castle sensors found. Nothing." Pidge said. "I went over the data from Yellow that was taken right before the cloak was enabled and can't find anything once that first power signature was registered." He looked at the group through the glasses that were a trifle large on his face. "If they turn it off and then turn it back on and we have a scanner in the area, I'll be able to pinpoint it. But that's the only way once it's on."

"Well, the troops are deploying several mobile scanners around the outskirts of Mynos. They should have over-lapping range; but if they took him to another region, we won't be able to track the signal that far," Lance said as he drummed his fingers absently on the table. "The troops are continuing to question residents, but we haven't learned much. The hovercraft they left were wiped clean of prints and DNA and no one saw anything suspicious in the areas near where the craft were found. The only clue I got was the one that I already passed along: the Circle."

Pidge pushed his glasses up to the bridge of his nose and typed on his data pad. In a flicker, a list of names appeared on the wall screen. "These are the names that coordinate between information we've collected in the past on the Circle and known dissidents. And of these, there is only one that Coran is familiar with."

"Valeria Com," Coran said as all head turned to him. "She led several daring raids during the Drule occupation and was very outspoken after the Force arrived. She felt that the Alliance should have done more during the invasion. It was her feeling that the Alliance would just take what it wanted and leave Arus at Doom's mercy again." Coran held up a forestalling hand when he saw that Hunk was going to object. "These are her known opinions, not mine."

"All of the names on the list will be checked out to see if they were in the Mynos area today," Allura said with more calmness than she felt. "We've already begun the process and ruled out the following," she paused as lines appeared through some names. "We're not saying that they aren't involved, but we can rule out them being participants in today's events."

A discussion then began about doing sweeps of the former underground bunkers outside of Mynos in the foothills and Raytac Mountains. It was during this discussion that Pidge broke into the conversation.

"Hey, guys! I've got a transmission from the kidnappers!" And then under his breath, he muttered, "Finally, something I can work with."

"What does it say?" Allura asked as she stood and leaned forward. "Is it audio?"

In a moment the electronic transmission was put on the screen for all to see. It was addressed to the Castle of Lions and Princess Allura. It was a list of demands:

\- Immediate and formal training of Arusians to pilot the Voltron Lions.  
\- When a committee of Arusians feel that the pilots' training is adequate, the Arusian pilots will begin piloting the Lions.  
\- Funding from the Alliance to begin building factories to build star cruisers. Until the factories are operational and can produce ships of our own, the Alliance will provide a fleet in the Denubian to help protect the factories.

Lance broke into Coran's reading of the list to ask, "Are they serious? They think they can just make demands of the Alliance like that?"

"Let me finish, Lieutenant," Coran said as he scanned down the list and kept reading.

\- An expansion of the Arusian High Council, from seven to fifteen.  
\- A request-

Lance broke in again, "How nice. They're making requests now."

Coran continued, "A request that Princess Allura consider making a formal alliance by marriage with a planetary leader that can assist Arus in its rebuilding."

Allura sat down and stared at the list on the wall.

Looking around the room, Hunk asked, "Who do they think they are to demand anything?"

"I think I know the answer to that," Coran said steadily. He waited until they were all looking at him and then he looked at Allura. "They know they are holding the man that Allura would have as Prince Consort. With such knowledge they feel they can ask anything."

The silence in the room was deafening. Allura stared into Coran's eyes; she would not disseminate. "How long have you known?"

"About a month. I didn't say anything because I wanted the two of you to come to me on your own when you felt comfortable." Coran leaned back in his seat. "You both tried to hide it but if anyone truly looked at you, they would know."

Allura looked down at the table and laughed ruefully. "And here we thought it was Nanny that was our biggest threat." Her eyes rose to meet Coran's. "He wanted to tell you but I refused." Her eyes went to Lance, "He was concerned after that first power reading but I refused to listen." She looked at each one in the room with a hint of fear. "Did I… Did I cause this? Am I the reason Keith was abducted?"

Lance sat forward suddenly and leaned across the table. "No way, Allura. No way."

"Of course not," Hunk and Pidge echoed.

Allura looked to Coran.

"Keith is your protector. Even if it was known, he would have done nothing different in regards to your safety. I think we all know that if Keith truly thought there was a threat, he would have brought you kicking and screaming back."

The rueful smile was back. "Yes, he would have."

"Well, now that we have that out of the way, let's move to our most pressing issue at the moment. Finding the spy," Lance said.

"Spy?" Hunk asked.

"I agree with the Lieutenant," Coran said. "This was well-planned and executed. The event was only known to those of us in this room and Keith. It was only announced this morning. An attack of this precision could not have been done on the spur of the moment."

Allura nodded. "It makes sense, but who would it be?"

Pidge immediately began typing. "I had already checked to see if there were any hackers and there weren't any. Let me see if there is anything unusual…." He shook his head. "Nope." He looked around the room. "Has anyone left their data pad unattended?"

Everyone looked sheepish.

"Yeah, well, even I have done it," Pidge said. "That is why I had the lock screen set up with the code and bio-lock. So the question is, have you left it unlocked for even a few minutes with someone else." Pidge saw that everyone was thinking. "I know it's a lot to think over guys, but try to go through it in your minds tonight. We'll talk about it tomorrow."

Allura's eyes went back to the list of demands. "I'm not supposed to negotiate."

"You can't, Princess," Coran said softly. He reached across the table to put his weathered hand over hers. "Keith knows it. Once you give in one time, it will be open season on everyone you care about."

"It sounds much easier when no one is in danger," Allura replied with her eyes still on the list. "There are things on there that I would be willing to discuss. Demanding a fleet from the Alliance isn't one of them nor is having the Force stop flying just because Arusians have been trained. We're a team and we do need more back-up than Sven, but that's what they'd be – back-ups." Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the so-called request. "As for considering someone else to marry, that isn't open for debate."

"What about the number on the Council?" Hunk asked.

Allura shook her head. "I'd be open for an increase if the Council wanted it; but I wouldn't want an increase that dramatic. Maybe increasing it to nine would be an option. The meetings already go on for hours even over small things. I'd be more likely to give more rein to the regional councils to make decisions about their region. Right now we meet over way too many small items that should be handled at the regional level."

"It sounds like you have a good handle on these demands, Princess. Has no one ever mentioned them before?" Lance asked.

"The High Council has discussed some of these issues, but they bicker so much and the proceedings are kept secret. It is up to the Council to go back and share with their citizens," she responded.

Lance looked around the room and then to Allura before saying, "Well, it sounds like the Council isn't doing a good job of taking information back to their constituents. I think that's a big part of the problem."

Allura let out a deep breath and then buried her fingers in her hair. "I can tell them that I will discuss the changes I just mentioned with the Council but I would not guarantee them and I won't do it at all until they release Keith." She dropped her hands to her lap. "God help them if they hurt him."

The men around the table were silent before the princess. It was moments like these that she seemed to already be a seasoned monarch with years under her belt. Finally, Lance said, "Don't worry, Princess, we'll make sure they're brought to justice."

Allura laid her head on the table. Her long golden locks a stark contrast to the matte black of the table. Her response was somewhat muffled, but understandable. "The question is, what is justice when they just want to be heard?"

Putting a hand on her back, Coran said, "Go to bed, Allura. We'll wake you if we hear anything else. We need to start tomorrow with a fresh mind."

Standing, Allura said, "You promise to wake me."

"The very minute we learn anything," Pidge said.

With a softly whispered, "Okay," Allura left the room. She knew they would talk after she left and while she wanted to know what it was about, she was physically and emotionally exhausted. Nanny was waiting outside of Control to help her to her rooms. And for once, Allura allowed the grumpy governess to fuss over her.

As the doors closed behind Allura, Coran turned to the Force and said, "They endangered innocent lives with this kidnapping. We all know there were better ways to bring their concerns to the royal table. I'm afraid that some members of this group want more than just being heard; I think some of them are seeking retribution against the Alliance."

"And they'll use Keith as a way to get it," Hunk said.

The room was quiet and Lance said, "We've got to find that spy. It's our best hope of getting Keith back in one piece."

The discussion then went into the people that were most likely to come into contact with an unlocked data pad.

Lance knew that he rarely took his data pad anywhere unlike several of the group. His mind swirled with the thought of Isis. When each person made up a list of people that might have had access, Lance's was the shortest. One. Isis. As he left for his room, he prayed it wasn't her.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

 **Rating/Setting:** Rating is T for kissing and groping. I know, who knew that I would write a story with some mild groping? Flavor is DotU, but is part of the "Just a Kiss" story arc. 1. Just a Kiss, 2. Shirts vs Skins, 3. More, and , Answers, and Intrigue. You really need to read them all to make sense of the story. Stories 1-3 are all pretty short and should be a quick read if you are interested.

 **Author's Note** : Very short chapter. However a few reviews could prompt me to post another one tomorrow. ;-D

* * *

 **Chapter Eleven**

Isis braced herself for her meeting with Lance. He was a smart man; he would know there was a spy in the Castle. It was her job to convince him now that it wasn't her. She cared about him. In fact, she had grown to care about all of them but especially him. Her perception of the Princess had greatly changed but she felt that she was on a course of action that she couldn't change and now here she was, part of a group that had kidnapped the Voltron Commander. Isis' chest was tight as she rang the chime on Lance's door. He had called her earlier saying he was back and asking for her to come over. The door opened and she threw herself into his arms. "I'm so glad you're safe," she said as she hugged him tightly.

Lance held her gently. "I'm fine, barely a scratch, but who knows what is happening to Keith."

Pushing back, she looked up at him. "So it's true. I heard the staff talking. They were saying that the commander had been kidnapped but I could hardly believe it." Her eyes grew wide as she asked, "Was it Lotor?"

Lance shook his head no. If she was the spy, she was a great actress. "Not Drules this time. This time it was Arusians."

"I don't understand," she said as he led her into his room. "Why would anyone on Arus want to kidnap Keith?"

The soft sofa was calling out Lance's name and he gratefully sank into it. He felt somewhat guilty that he was sitting in this comfort while Keith was being held captive. His eyes closed as he answered, "That's what we need to find out."

Isis knew that the princess would have already received the list of demands. It seemed that Lance didn't trust her enough to share that information with her. And she couldn't blame him for that in the least. "Well, I hope that you find him quickly."

"So do I," Lance replied with his eyes still shut. He opened them and looked at her. "It's been a long day and tomorrow will be even longer."

Hopping up, Isis quickly said, "I understand, Lance. You need to rest. I'm just glad you're safe." She leaned over to plant a quick kiss on his forehead. "Maybe I can see you tomorrow night?"

"Maybe," he replied laconically.

"Good night," she whispered on her way out.

Lance looked at the door. Perhaps he should follow her but he didn't think she'd do anything tonight, even if she were the spy. Too much going on around the castle. Odd behavior would be noticed. He closed his eyes. He'd figure out a way to check on her tomorrow.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Keith lay on the bed as the lights dimmed for the night. The search for him must have been going on for hours. Wherever he was, it wasn't easy to find especially with a cloak. Most likely he was here until someone made a mistake or the spy was found. Allura couldn't negotiate with the Circle; it would set a bad precedent. He closed his eyes and prayed that the Circle would be willing to let him go when she refused to concede. Somehow he felt it would be an unanswered prayer.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Allura lay in her bed wide awake. She had been in bed for over an hour but sleep refused to come. _What am I going to do? More importantly, what will they do when I refuse their demands?_ Visions of a beaten and bloody Keith flashed through her mind. "No," she whispered. Her eyes closed as she went back to their first kiss on the shore near the Lake Bridge. These were the images that she filled her mind with as she finally drifted off to sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

 **Rating/Setting:** Rating is T for kissing and groping. I know, who knew that I would write a story with some mild groping? Flavor is DotU, but is part of the "Just a Kiss" story arc. 1. Just a Kiss, 2. Shirts vs Skins, 3. More, and , Answers, and Intrigue. You really need to read them all to make sense of the story. Stories 1-3 are all pretty short and should be a quick read if you are interested.

 **Author's Notes:** Ahhhh, reviews! Music to an author's... wait... ears? eyes? Hmmmm. I'll work on this. But anyway, thanks for the reviews! And your wish is granted, a new chapter for today.

* * *

 **Chapter Twelve**

 **A/N:** _The names in ( ) are the names that have already been used in the story but Keith doesn't know them. So to make the reading easier, I will identify who the people are in ( ) even as Keith comes up with his own names._

Keith was already awake and looking at the entrance when his captors arrived. This time there were four of them: the muscled man from yesterday (Morgan); the hostile woman (Loretta); another woman that he hadn't seen before; and another man who was shorter than Muscles (Loren). Since they weren't going to give him names he'd just name them for himself as he judged their personalities. So far he had Muscles (Morgan), Hostile (Loretta), and Leader (Valeria). Now to see who these two new people would be.

Mina and Loren looked at the Voltron Force Commander behind the bars. While they were all for the kidnapping and changes to the government, they felt a slight discomfort at seeing the man who had done so much for Arus in a cell made for him by Arusians.

"You are unhurt?" Mina asked as she had medical training.

"Yes."

Steeling himself, Loren said, "We will be speaking to the Princess today about our demands for change. We need to take a recording showing that you are unhurt."

Keith nodded, still getting a feel for these two new-comers. "And when she doesn't comply with your demands, will I still be unharmed?"

"Bah!" Loretta said, tired of this conversation when they just needed to get the recording and get on with their business. "She'll comply or there will be consequences."

Keith watched as Muscles (Morgan) glanced sharply to Hostile (Loretta). He had been right that the woman was willing to go further than some of the others.

"Enough," Morgan said. They needed to be united in front of Kogane. He was sure to be watching for weakness and division.

Loren pulled out the device and held it up. After pressing a button, he asked, "Is there anything you'd like to say Commander."

Keith looked steadily at his captors. "Nothing that you won't edit out."

Snorting in an unladylike fashion, Mina waited until Loren put down the device to say, "Well, he has that right."

"Your food will be in shortly, Commander," Morgan said as he turned to leave with the group.

Keith watched them leave. The new man and woman didn't give him much to go on. The man was probably involved in the technical aspects since he did the recording. The girl, well, he couldn't get a read on her yet. Before he sat down, an unassuming young man came in and slid a paper tray containing his breakfast through the bars. It was very bland and simple and things he could eat with his hands requiring no utensils. At least he was being fed even if it didn't come with an opportunity to gain even a small weapon.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

The group that left the Keith's detention area went immediately to a small room that housed the cloaking device as well as their communication equipment. Loretta went to work at a console putting in place the network routing and security it would take to keep that computer genius Stoker from finding them. Their time online would be limited, but they should be able to get said what they needed to. In just a few minutes, Loretta turned to Morgan and said, "Ready when you are."

Morgan looked up from the script that they had devised. With their limited time, there were certain things that needed to be said and said correctly. "I'm ready." Fixing his mask back on his face, he moved in front of a blank wall and looked at the monitor in front of him. When the connection was made with the Castle, he would have video on that screen. In just a few moments, Princess Allura was on the screen.

"Princess Allura," Morgan said with a slight bow. "You may call me Arn." Arn was the name of a well-known reformer in Arus' past.

Allura held her hands tightly in front of her. "Arn, I have read your demands but I will not consider any of them until the Commander is released."

Morgan shook his head. "I'm afraid that is not how things need to go, Your Highness. We need to have some sign that you are actively pursuing items on the list."

Her tone softening, Allura said, "I will truly discuss the enlarging of the Council as well as how information is supplied to the regions. However, I will not demand a fleet from the Alliance nor will I force the Alliance officers from their roles as pilots. Arusians are already receiving some training and they will continue to do so, but not in a replacement plan."

Glancing to the side, he got the signal that he still had time.

"I suggest you talk with the Council and announce publicly what you are discussing. Once that occurs, we can talk about returning the Commander."

Her voice was strong as she said, "I do not negotiate with kidnappers. You will return the Commander unharmed." She watched closely as the one who called himself Arn replied.

"Or what? You'll find someone else to love?" He paused and then said, "I'll contact you again in two hours. I hope you have some good news for me, Princess." The transmission ended.

Allura's voice was a whisper. "They know." She turned to face Coran and her friends. Her face was pale as she said, "Either we find Keith and rescue him or…or I will abdicate."

A cacophony of noise arose from around as the men in her life protested her decision.

Finally, Coran's voice hushed the noise as he loudly said, "Don't be rash, Allura!"

"I'm not being rash, Coran. I thought it through last night. I can't negotiate but I can't let them harm Keith."

"I don't think they'll seriously harm him, Princess," Lance said as Pidge looked down at his data pad.

"Hey guys! I have a file from the kidnappers," Pidge said as he transferred the file to the screen.

It was the recording the Circle had taken that morning, complete with audio and Keith's snarky comment.

Allura laughed with tears in her eyes as she said, "That's definitely Keith."

"No doubt," Lance agreed. "But it goes with what I said. I don't think they'll hurt him. Yeah, they'll keep him for awhile but eventually they'll let him go." He could see the doubt in Allura's eyes. "Sven will be here later today. We'll have Voltron if we need him." Walking up to the princess, Lance put his hands on her shoulders and said, "It's what Keith would want you to do."

Allura looked down at her white boots as Lance dropped his hands to his sides. In a moment another pair of feet came into her field of vision. This pair much larger than Lance's.

"I don't say this very often, Princess, but Lance is right. Keith wouldn't want you to give up your throne for him. We'll get him back." Hunk's voice was calm and it soothed Allura.

Looking up into Hunk's dark eyes, Allura said, "All right. I'll hold strong for now." Her eyes turned to Pidge. "Were you able to trace anything Pidge?"

"No. Whoever is doing their security knows their stuff."

"Pidge, add that to our criteria in the searches for dissidents. With Arus' recent history, our supply of technology gurus is very low," Coran said thoughtfully.

In a few moments, a short list of names appeared on the screen.

"There!" Coran said excitedly. "Loretta Roman. I remember meeting her when we toured Bellamy. She is helping with their technology infrastructure. She had a lot of caustic remarks to make about the Alliance during our tour. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that she is in on this."

"So, we have two definite people to check out: Valeria Com and Loretta Roman," Allura said as she looked at the group. "Let's see what we can find in two hours before they contact us again."

Hunk said, "Valeria is from Mynos. I'll head there to look into where she is and who she hangs out with."

"And I'll head to Bellamy to check out Loretta Roman," Lance said. Looking at Hunk, he added, "We better take the Lions for speed and go now."

Coran hit the sequence for the dais and soon the two men were on their way. As the dais lowered, Coran could see the worry on Allura's face. "We're making progress," Coran told her.

"I know," she responded. "I just hope we can figure it out before something happens. I just have a bad feeling about this."

Knowing there was nothing else he could do Coran went to a console and began researching other names on the list that Pidge had come up with the previous day.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

 **Rating/Setting:** Rating is T for kissing and groping. I know, who knew that I would write a story with some mild groping? Flavor is DotU, but is part of the "Just a Kiss" story arc. 1. Just a Kiss, 2. Shirts vs Skins, 3. More, and , Answers, and Intrigue. You really need to read them all to make sense of the story. Stories 1-3 are all pretty short and should be a quick read if you are interested.

* * *

 **Chapter Thirteen**

Two hours passed. Hunk and Lance both communicated to the Castle that Valeria and Loretta both had issues with the Council and the Alliance. Valeria had been seen at her home that morning but Loretta had told her neighbors she would be out of town for a few weeks. There wasn't anything concrete to say they were a part of the kidnapping or to indicate where they currently were. Hunk said he'd hang around Valeria's neighborhood in case she came back.

Soon, Allura received the call she had been dreading.

"Hello, Arn (Morgan)," she said evenly.

"Princess," he inclined his head. "Do you have any news to share with me?"

"I have put the topics of increasing the size of the Council and how information is shared between the Council and the regions on the agenda for the next meeting."

It was hard to tell, but it seemed that Arn was frowning. "That is not what was asked for, Princess."

"I can't make arbitrary decisions, Arn." Her head tilted up and she said, "I won't agree to impractical plans and much of the demands you made regarding the Alliance and the Force were not practical."

"I see." Arn's tone was hard. "We'll see if you still feel the same in a few hours."

The transmission cut and Allura slumped against the console.

"They're going to hurt him," she said.

"I know it's not any consolation, Princess, but Keith can take it. He'd rather get a little beat up than see you give in to these kidnappers." Pidge's voice was encouraging, but he knew the words wouldn't help much.

"Thanks, Pidge. I guess I'll just try to keep my imagination from running wild during the next few hours." Allura closed her eyes and said a prayer that it was just a threat and they wouldn't harm him.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Morgan looked to Loretta after the transmission cut. "He is not to be seriously harmed; we agreed on that."

"It must be enough for her to negotiate," Loretta said matter of factly and with a smile on her face. She rose from the table where she had been sitting with Loren. The two of them had worked to constantly reroute the signal so that the Castle couldn't pinpoint them. "I was given the task of selecting the consequences for Kogane if the princess failed to deal with us. Let me do my job."

Reaching out to gently take Loretta's arm, Morgan said, "You demanded the task and we allowed you to have it but with the understanding that he would not be seriously harmed. We are _not_ Drules."

Loretta snatched her arm away from the light hold. "No, we are most certainly not. But he is an Alliance officer. He is someone who didn't help us when we needed it."

Her tone was spiteful and Morgan was fearful of what she might do to the commander. He also knew that Loretta was still plagued by the memories of her family that the Drules took from her. Her desire for revenge was starting to color her actions too much as well as her thinking. "Loretta, he was only twelve or thirteen when Zarkon attacked us. You cannot fault a boy for the actions of the Alliance."

The older woman had the grace to blush at the gentle rebuke. "You are right about the past, but it doesn't change the present." With those words she exited the room.

Morgan turned from the door to look at Loren who had been curiously watching the scene play out before him. "I'd like you to contact Carp and ask him to be present for whatever Loretta has in store for the commander."

Loren nodded, "I'll send the message immediately."

"Thank you. Tell him to hurry; I think she plans to start soon." Morgan turned back to the door. The princess was not showing any indication that she was willing to deal with them. He hoped that she would change her mind soon or the commander might end up with more injuries than planned.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Carp received the message as he was on his way to the hidden lair. Speeding up his steps, he moved to the room housing Kogane. Sliding his mask in place and pulling up his hood, he entered the room. He walked over to the cell and looked at the young man on the bed. Kogane was several years younger than he was and several inches taller. The man on the bed seemed unconcerned as he lay with his eyes closed. Carp had no illusions. The commander knew exactly where he was.

Without opening his eyes, Keith said, "I don't think you've been in here before. Your steps are different." His eyes slowly opened as he sat up on the bed and looked at the man on the other side of the bars. "Come to see the latest carnival attraction?"

"What?"

Keith waved his hand in the air. "Never mind, it's an Earth saying."

"I'm here to monitor the consequences that will be administered shortly because the princess would not negotiate."

 _Monitor_ , Keith thought. Not a good sign. He hoped that the one he called Hostile wasn't in charge of the consequences. He didn't have long to ponder the possibility as the door opened again and both men looked toward it. Keith stood as he saw Hostile (Loretta) and a man enter. The man was carrying something that looked like a horse whip.

Loretta's eyes flickered from Kogane to Carp. She wasn't expecting him here, but there was no reason he couldn't be. "Take your shirt off, Commander," she said as the pair walked forward. When she saw that he wasn't complying, she added, "Or we'll cut it off of you once you're restrained."

Begrudgingly, Keith pulled his shirt off and dropped it on his bed.

"Now come to the bars and put your hands through the upper bars." There were several horizontal reinforcing bars at various heights. The ones that Loretta indicated would put his at the height of his head. When he had complied, Loretta handed the handcuffs she pulled from her jacket to Carp.

He looked at the cuffs with confusion.

"If you're going to be here, you might as well help." When he hesitated, Loretta added, "Whether you actually participate in this or not, you are a part of it."

Carp frowned as he took the metal cuffs from her and restrained Keith's hands where they extended beyond the bars.

Keith pulled his hands back so that he could grasp the bars. Closing his eyes, he leaned his head against the bars as he heard the door to his cell open. He knew what was going to happen. He knew that he would be filmed and he was determined not to cry out. _Allura_ , he thought as the first blow hit his back. A small hiss escaped his lips but that was all as the blows continued. Soon he was breathing rapidly and his hands let go of the bars as he slid slowly down the bars until he was hanging by his cuffed hands.

"Stop! Stop it now!" Carp cried out. He had asked Loretta to stop earlier but she had shaken her head no as she recorded the beating. At this point he didn't care.

Loretta signaled the man with the whip to stop. Tossing Carp the keys to the cuffs, she said, "I'll send in the medic."

Carp's hands tightened and loosened around the keys as he waited impatiently for Mina to arrive. Once she arrived he tossed the cuff keys to her and entered the cell. "I'll lift him up so you can unlock the cuffs."

Mina looked at Kogane curiously. She knew that he was hurt but she didn't know what method Loretta had chosen. Moment later she knew as Carp carefully laid Kogane on the bed on his stomach. His entire back was red and swollen with dark bruise marks already beginning to form at numerous angles. She drew in her breath and turned to Loren. "Go get a bag filled with ice and a towel and bring them back." As he left, she opened her medic kit and took out a spray anesthetic and some cleansing clothes. In a few places, the skin had been broken. She gently wiped the places cleaning them of the blood and then sprayed the anesthetic. Now they just needed to wait for the towel. There wasn't much more that she could do other than offer pain killers and the Circle leadership had already determined he would not be allowed them. When she had heard about it, she had been in agreement. But seeing his back, she felt differently now that she was faced with the actual situation. "What did this?" she asked softly.

"A baton."

She looked up at Carp, "He will be in much pain when he awakens."

Grimacing, Carp said, "I know." Sensing that Mina might feel as he did, he asked, "Do you have any pain killers that you could give him?"

"I do." Seeing that he was not saying anything, she took a syringe from her bag and filled it with a clear liquid. "It will also cause him to sleep for the next several hours, which is probably a good thing in his case. If anyone asks, say that he lost consciousness from the pain."

Carp nodded.

Loren rushed in with the requested items. The towel was laid carefully on Keith's back and then the bag of ice was gently placed so that it covered as much of his back as it could. When that was done, Mina said, "That's all we can do for now." The three left the room and locked it behind them. All with thoughts that were far from those they had the day before.

XXXXXXXXXXX

"There's an incoming transmission, Princess," Pidge said from the console he was sitting at. Turning to look at her, he added, "It's a recording sent to your attention."

"Let's look at it in the conference room," Coran said. Lance and Hunk were still out gathering information on the friends of Valeria Com and Loretta Roman. He wished they were here.

"Play it, Pidge," Allura said as the door closed behind them.

The words "We'll contact you in one hour" appeared on the screen. Then there was a view of Keith's back and suddenly, a baton slashed down, striking his back.

Allura gasped and put her hand to her mouth. Coran moved over to put an arm around her slim shoulders. Sounds could be heard on the recording, but there was no sound from Keith.

"Is he unconscious?" Allura asked as she turned to Pidge.

"No," the young teen said softly, "he's conscious and he knows exactly what he's doing."

Troubled and confused, Allura looked back to the scene being played. Suddenly she understood. "He's holding it in because of me."

No one refuted her.

"What are you going to do in an hour, Princess?" Coran asked.

Closing her eyes, she centered herself drawing a deep breath. When she opened them she calmly said, "I'm going to tell them that I don't negotiate with kidnappers." Her voice faltered somewhat as she continued, "When Keith didn't make a sound during that beating, he was sending me a message."

"Really, Princess?" Coran asked. "Was this something the two of you had discussed?"

The smile on Allura's face was rueful. "No, Coran, we hadn't discussed it. However, the fact that he held in the pain told me that he was willing to bear it. He'd never want me to give in to these people." She shook her head moved to the door. "Sven should be arriving any time now. Maybe he'll have some ideas."


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

 **Rating/Setting:** Rating is T for kissing and groping. I know, who knew that I would write a story with some mild groping? Flavor is DotU, but is part of the "Just a Kiss" story arc. 1. Just a Kiss, 2. Shirts vs Skins, 3. More, and , Answers, and Intrigue. You really need to read them all to make sense of the story. Stories 1-3 are all pretty short and should be a quick read if you are interested.

 **Author's Notes:** Thanks for the reviews! I love them! About halfway through this chapter you'll see the breaks change from XXXXXX to .*****. The story before the .***. was written 2014 I think through summer 2016. I wrote the rest of the story this spring :)

* * *

 **Chapter Fourteen**

Sven looked grimly at his friends around the conference table. "There's been no trace of Keith?"

"We've narrowed it down to the foothills around Mynos and the mountains of Raytac that are closest to Mynos. Any old caverns or evacuation shelters would be perfect," Hunk reported. "Valeria Com is a dissident and hasn't been seen around her dwelling since yesterday. We've tried every method available to contact her and all have failed."

"The same goes for Loretta Roman. Her neighbors told me that she is rather zealous in her opposition to Alliance involvement on Arus," Lance added.

Coran nodded. "It's a starting place, but if their friends and families don't have any ideas of where they are or what they've been doing, it isn't that helpful."

"Well, you know that I-" Sven were cut off as the claxons sounded.

The group ran from the conference room into Castle Control. Robeast!

Allura turned with worried eyes to the team. "We haven't had a chance to discuss who's going to fly which Lion!" The fear in her voice was loud and clear.

Gripping her shoulders, Sven said, "I'll take Blue. You take Black."

"But the last time-"

"The last time you cut a robeast in half, Princess!" Lance yelled as he ran toward his tube.

"Come on, Princess! We know you can do it!" Hunk called as he grabbed his T-bar.

Sven and Pidge were right behind him. With a deep breath and a heavy heart, Allura ran towards door #1.

Thirty minutes later, a bedraggled team hobbled into Control. Lance had wrenched his shoulder and Hunk had a cut on his arm where he had collided with some of the electronics in Yellow Lion when he was thrown from his seat.

"You did it, Princess," Lance said to Allura as he walked beside her. "Keith will be proud." He saw her nod and knew that she was rather emotional right now after the battle and having flown Black, not knowing what was going on with Keith.

Allura looked to Coran. "Did the group contact you, Coran? I know it's been more than an hour now since we received the recording."

"A one word message: tomorrow."

"A slight reprieve." Turning to her team, she said, "Let's get changed and patched up. We'll meet in the dining hall for dinner and planning in an hour." She watched the men file out and her shoulders slumped. It was hard staying strong all the time.

Coran watched her with concern as she left the room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Loren, Carp, and Mina looked at each other with concern when the alarm sounded in the underground bunker. A robeast attack near the castle was imminent. There were no concerns for them as the bunker had withstood attacks from Doom since the war began over a decade ago. But each of them had family in the area. Had their kidnapping of this man put their families at risk? The Circle's leadership had talked about the possibility that Doom would learn that Kogane was missing and take advantage of the situation. But they had decided that the potential benefits from their demands outweighed any possible negatives. And just like the beating that had occurred earlier, such things were easier to agree to when they were abstract.

Fifteen minutes into the tremors and loud explosions in the distance, Valeria had entered the room to tell them that the princess had been granted an extension until tomorrow.

Three pairs of eyes went back to the prone figure on the bed that hadn't moved since he'd been given the pain killer. All three had concerns over what Loretta would do to Kogane next if the princess didn't deal. They all hoped it would be something they could live with.

Two hours later, Carp was the only one left. Mina said there was nothing more she could do for the commander and Loren needed to get home to his family. Carp wasn't married and he lived alone, so there was no one expecting him.

Keith couldn't help but groan as he came too. In many ways, he wished that he hadn't woken. His back was just a mass of pain and agony. Even the slightest movements were excruciating.

"You know if you had just made some sounds like that during your beating, she might have stopped sooner."

Keith opened his eyes and tried to find the voice but he couldn't. A painful, screeching noise assailed his ears and moments later, he could see a chair on the other side of the bars. Then, a man sat down in the chair. A man he hadn't named yet but who he remembered from before the beating. In fact, he remembered the man asking Hostile (Loretta) to stop. She hadn't. But he had asked. "I couldn't. It's what she wanted and I wasn't going to give it to her."

Carp laughed. "You are going to be in for a painful time if that's the game you're going to play."

Keith looked seriously at the young man. "Is that what this is to you? A game?"

"Why, no, of course not. It was an expression I used for your behavior, not mine."

"Do you realize that Hostile is playing a game as well?"

"Hostile?" Carp asked. "Oh, is that what you call her." At Keith's nod, he said, "It fits." Then he paused and continued. "You think she's playing a game?"

"You honestly think she isn't?" Keith queried. "You think that she will let me walk away from this?"

Carp set forward. "Yes. We agreed upon it. You are not to be seriously harmed."

Keith laughed softly. "She hates the Alliance and since she can't attack them directly, I am the surrogate. I will be the recipient of all her vengeance."

"No. No you won't. We won't allow it."

Keith reached painfully behind him and removed the bag of melted ice and the damp towel. Carefully, he stood and turned his back to Carp. It was a mass of bruises and welts. Keith turned back around and sat on the edge of the bed and looked through the bars at the man he now called Reluctant. "During the beating, I heard you call to her to stop. But she didn't. Later, right before I blacked out, I heard you ask her again. This time it did stop, but I lost consciousness. My question for you is this. Did she stop because you asked her to or did she stop because she was satisfied for the moment?" He could almost sense Reluctant's thoughts. He'd given the man something to think about.

Carp (Reluctant) stood and left the room without another word.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The next morning, Keith was surprised when four people came into the room and asked him to stand and turn around. He complied as he felt this was at least part of the leadership of the Circle. He recognized Leader (Valeria), Reluctant (Carp), and Muscles (Morgan). The last member of the party was a woman that he didn't recognize.

"Are you in pain?" Valeria asked.

Keith turned to face the group. "I don't really think you need to ask that question."

Valeria nodded and then turned to the group providing them with some signal so that all followed her out of the room.

Once they were in the corridor, Valeria said, "We knew that he would have to be hurt to persuade the princess."

"But his back-" Carp began.

"Is not seriously cut and bleeding." Daphne interjected. "He can stand and move. There is no permanent damage." Her tone indicated that she saw nothing wrong in Keith's treatment.

"I'm concerned that Loretta started out with this level of consequence," Morgan said. He had been the one to request Carp to go to the chamber and observe the beating. "She takes way too much pleasure in Kogane's pain."

"I'm afraid she won't be willing to let him go," Carp said as he reflected back on what the Voltron commander had told him that morning.

"He won't be permanently injured and we all agreed that no matter what happens with the princess that we would release the commander in three weeks. We agreed and we will stand by that decision," Valeria said.

The group had been focused on their discussion and had not heard Loretta and Kareem enter. "Well, if you coddle her with no real threat then she'll just wait us out. She has brought in that other Garrison pilot so the planet is safe. Let's be sure that she understands the pain that we can bring." Loretta walked further into the room.

Kareem hung back slightly as the air charged with tension. He had so far had more of a supporting role in the Circle but had come to the bunker because of concerns expressed by Carp. Now he understood them. "Loretta, pain is one thing," he said. "Vengeance is another."

Loretta scowled at him and said, "Just put the demands to the princess again. We delayed because of the attack. There is no reason to delay any longer." She looked at them: Valeria, Morgan, Carp, Daphne, and Kareem. The seven who made up the leadership of the Circle were all in attendance except for Isis who was still at the castle.

"Agreed," Valeria said. "We shall have Morgan make contact again."

.**********.

Allura closed her eyes as the view screen went blank. She had denied the Circle their demands once again but this time, Arn had ended with a disturbing comment: "I'm sorry that the commander's pain didn't soften your heart. Perhaps if he is more vocal you might be persuaded."

"We'll find him," Coran said as he pulled her into an embrace.

"But how much will he suffer before we do?" Allura asked as she leaned her head against his chest.

.**********.

The six members of the council gathered in the room that contained Keith's cell. All wore their hoods and masks. Keith hated it, but they were an imposing and eerie sight. He stood slowly and faced them. "She held firm?"

"She still denies our requests-" Valeria began.

"You mean your demands," Keith retorted.

"Call it what you will commander. She is not willing to concede."

Keith snorted. "Good for her."

The one he called Hostile stepped forward. "It may be good for her, Commander. But it will most definitely be bad for you."

As the one he called Muscles moved toward the keys that opened the cell, a small explosion could be heard in the room beyond.

"Quickly," the one he called Leader shouted. "Get your weapons!" The six then rushed from the room.

Keith could hear shouts and shots being fired. He grasped the bars of his cell tightly as he listened for something that would indicate a rescue. But nothing was familiar. The blaster had a higher pitch tone than Drule or Garrison ones. Then he heard a voice and recognized the accent. He dropped his hands from the bars and stepped back. "Out of the frying pan and into the fryer," he muttered as the door to the room burst open.

A haze of smoke came in with the dark clad figure that stood six foot tall. The figure pulled the breathing mask from his face exposing a burnt orange skin tone. When he smiled, the teeth were pointed. "Commander Keith Kogane I presume?"

Keith nodded and knew his situation had just gotten much worse. He was now in the hands of Stymax pirates. The bright green symbol on the right sleeve indicated it. They were known for their black market selling of weapons and… slaves.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

 **Rating/Setting:** Rating is T for kissing and groping. I know, who knew that I would write a story with some mild groping? Flavor is DotU, but is part of the "Just a Kiss" story arc. 1. Just a Kiss, 2. Shirts vs Skins, 3. More, and , Answers, and Intrigue. You really need to read them all to make sense of the story. Stories 1-3 are all pretty short and should be a quick read if you are interested.

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews! Including the guests that I can't PM back!

* * *

 **Chapter Fifteen**

The Stymax pirate didn't bother looking for the keys, he simply blasted the cell door open and said as he flipped a setting on his gun, "You can either get on your knees and put your hands behind your back, or I'll stun you on the highest setting."

The impressive set of teeth smiled back at Keith who got on his knees as requested. Keith figured it was better to see where he was going than to be slung over the back of the pirate and carried out.

"Good choice," his new captor said as he activated a restraint on Keith's wrists and then hauled him to his feet. The pirate pulled his mask back on and shoved Keith in front of him toward the still smoking doorway. "I'd hold my breath if I were you," he said before pushing him through the opening.

Keith understood why the pirate had made that comment immediately. Not only was the smoke obnoxious and blinding him, but the smell of burnt flesh filled the air. Even though the Arusians had beaten him, he didn't wish this upon anyone. His eyes blinked rapidly as the smoke burned both his eyes and his nostrils. Racking coughs assaulted his body as the pirate indicated they were almost out.

Bursting forth into sunlight, Keith continued to blink at the brightness and the remaining effects of the smoke. A quick glance back toward the place he was held left him with the sight of an arm missing its body. He couldn't tell whose it was but it let him know that his new captors were upping the stakes. A roar echoed through the air and he caught a brief glimpse of Red Lion before he was shoved into a cloaked ship. He had no idea it was there until he broke through the barrier covering the door and fell to the floor. The pirate came quickly through after him and then he felt the vibrations indicating that the ship was taking off.

Keith continued coughing as he rolled to his side and the pirate moved toward the cockpit of the small vessel. Cloaking devices took a lot of energy and could only cover the smallest of ships. He heard a feminine voice from that direction but couldn't determine what they were saying as the pirate had closed the cockpit door after him. Keith closed his eyes squeezing out several tears. _I need to be able to see clearly_. He coughed. _And breathe too_ , he thought. In a moment he opened his eyes as his breathing steadied. With a little effort he managed to sit up. However, he must have made some noise as the large pirate came back.

"Who are you?" Keith asked.

"You can call me Zedd and I think you already know who I'm with," he said as he looked down on Keith. "He doesn't look seriously harmed," Zedd called to the other pilot.

"Where are you taking me?" Keith asked after a glance to the cockpit.

"The slave market on Steffan. When the Arusians traded us for the cloaking device, they indicated that they would allow us to question a high ranking Garrison officer." Zedd laughed and it was a deep, resonating sound. "Fools. Who else would it be but a member of the Voltron Force and most likely the commander himself? Why would we settle for asking questions we both know that you would not answer when we could just take you instead?"

"You aren't concerned that word will get out about your double cross?"

"We Stymax are opportunists. We will make it known that the Arusians double crossed us. Anyone that survived the attack will soon be in the hands of the Arusian government so I doubt they'll get to make a lot of formal complaints against us," he laughed again. Zedd moved to the wall and grabbed a chain. In moments he secured Keith's bound hands to a wall support. "There," he said as he stepped back. "Sit back and relax, Commander. Things are about to get really interesting for you." Zedd laughed again as he moved back to the cockpit.

Keith watched him go. "I really don't see much to laugh about," he muttered to himself as he pulled on the restraints. The Alliance had shut down several of the Stymax slave markets, but the pirates were very crafty and managed to move most of their operation before the Garrison could strike. The pirates would then open up a new location and the circle would begin again. He carefully leaned his injured back against the wall once he determined that there was no breaking the chain or the wall support. It would take them at least six hours to reach Steffan. What did the Stymax plan to do with him? Would they sell him to the Drules? It would probably be the most lucrative offer they would have but if that were the case, why even bother taking him to market on Steffan? His head was starting to ache more as the lack of food and breathing in the smoke and fumes were getting to him. He might as well try to get some sleep he decided as he closed his eyes and leaned against the support beam. The gentle hum of the ship was relaxing in a way and soon Keith dozed off.

A pain in his neck made Keith sit up and wince. Obviously, the sleeping position against the support beam hadn't helped his aches and pains although his head did feel better. Carefully opening his eyes, Keith found that the burning had gone away. However, he was surprised to see the female Stymax sitting across from him in the small cargo/passenger section. She was looking at him curiously.

"He's awake," she called to the front of the ship.

"We still have an hour before we rendezvous with the Arclay," Zedd called back.

Keith glanced to the cockpit and back. "Is the Arclay your base ship?"

The female version of Zedd tilted her head and continued to look appraisingly at him. "Trying to gather some information, Commander?"

Keith nodded. "When you aren't in control of what is happening, it can be helpful to at least know what is going on."

She returned his nod. "You are a dangerous adversary and I won't aid you by supplying you with information."

While Keith wanted answers, he had to acknowledge at least to himself that she was correct. The more they kept him in the dark the better for them. "Maybe you'll answer this one question for me."

"You can ask," she responded.

"Why aren't you just selling me directly to Zarkon or Lotor?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Zarkon promises large payments but usually only pays half and then finds fees and fines to hit the Stymax with so that he doesn't have to pay the amount he agreed to. So we are careful in our dealings with Doom. We provide enough services to be of value but find others to make more lucrative bargains with."

"And think you'll be able to make a lucrative bargain selling me?"

"Most definitely. A bulletin has already been posted to our contacts who would be the most interested in what you have to offer."

Keith scowled, "I've been trained in resisting interrogation. I won't divulge Garrison secrets."

The pirate woman laughed. "You have skills that have nothing to do with your Garrison knowledge. You are the best pilot in the quadrant. You are a strategist. Some would pay a lot for those skills." She leaned forward and raked her eyes down his body. "You're a little pale for my tastes, but there are some who buy you for other reasons." She laughed again as Keith practically growled at her. "What? No comeback?" She stood and turned toward the cockpit. "Rest up, Commander, because tonight you go up for sale."

Keith watched her retreat into the front cabin and close the door. He pulled helplessly at his chains and then dropped his head. Unfortunately, he knew she was correct in what she said and it wouldn't be the first time that a trained Garrison soldier had been sold. There were at least three documented cases of soldiers or Garrison scientists disappearing and then being recovered months, sometimes years later. Those who had been kidnapped had no memories of their previous lives or what had been done to them. In two of the cases, the individuals were livid at being forced from their new lives. Keith pulled up his knees and dropped his head onto them. He prayed that didn't happen to him.

.**********.

An hour later the small ship docked inside the Arclay and Keith was led out into the hanger. Another Stymax pirate entered the hanger and gave directions for Keith to be prepared for the night. Keith didn't say anything as Zedd took him by the arm and led him to a room deep inside the ship.

"Here is where we part for now, Commander."

"What is this?" Keith asked as they stood outside the still closed door.

Zedd wrinkled his nose and said, "You were held prisoner and you smell, Commander. We want to get the most money we can for you. That means we need to pretty you up a bit," Zedd smiled.

"Great," Keith said as the door opened and he was taken inside.

.**********.

 _Back to the explosion…_

Allura looked at the map on the viewer. An explosion in the Raytac Mountains outside of Mynos was showing on the screen. No close up visuals could be gotten due to the billowing smoke and the lack of high quality satellites. "Lance, Hunk, come in please."

"What was that, Princess?" Lance asked as popped up on a side screen.

Screams could be heard in the background as Hunk responded. "I'm working to calm the locals where I am. They're certain it's a robeast attack and I'm trying to convince them it's not."

"You're right, Hunk. It's not. You work on calming the people. Lance, I need you to check out that explosion," Allura said.

"I'm pulling up the coordinates now," Lance responded. I should be there in less than two minutes.

"Pidge and I will meet you there," Allura ended.

With a nod, Lance winked out and Allura started the sequence to raise the dais. While Coran might not want her to go, he would never stop her in this situation.

.**********.

When Allura and Pidge arrived, a local emergency team was also on hand. Allura couldn't help but wrinkle her nose at the smell of burnt circuits and flesh. The medical team was working on one person who was severely burnt.

"Princess, our medical facilities won't be able to handle this. We need to take him to the castle," a medic said as he walked toward Allura.

Allura looked at the figure laying on the white sheet. "Is he stable?"

"Yes, Princess. He's also unconscious."

"Then let's check to make sure we don't have any other casualties that need to be taken to the castle. I'll put in a call for a speeder to come out as well." Allura looked to the opening into the mountain. "Did Lance go into the mountain?"

"He did, Princess. He's the one who brought this one out."

As the medic was speaking, the sounds of coughing could be heard near the area that was billowing smoke. Allura rushed toward the sound as she placed a call to the castle for the speeder. She stopped just outside the area where the smoke was swirling and then rushed to Lance's side as he carried someone in his arms. The medic rushed forward as well. Allura noticed the bloody stump that hung from the person's side and then she saw the long dark brown hair sprinkled with gray and knew this Valeria Roman.

The princess rushed past Lance and pulled her scanner out as she entered the cavern. She dropped to her knees as the smoke at head height was too overwhelming. She ran the scanner but detected no life signs. She could see another opening ahead. Maybe Keith was in there. She was just starting to crawl in that direction when someone grabbed her leg. She instinctively kicked back, but the person was ready. Turning, she saw Lance.

"Come on out, Princess. There's no one else alive in there."

Allura looked back to the other room in the back of the cavern. "But-"

"I already scanned. Come out so we can clear the smoke and see who is in here."

Allura coughed and turned to follow Lance out. She knew what he meant. They would clear the smoke and look for Keith's body. As they exited the mountain, she saw that Pidge had gone with some of the medics and the two wounded Arusians. She was still in a shocked mind frame when Lance spoke to her.

"Use Blue to draw the smoke and air out of the cavern, Allura," Lance said quietly and calmly.

She shook her head as if to clear it.

Lance took her arm. "We don't know that he was in there. Let's get it cleared so we can find out."

This time she nodded. Heading to the Blue Lion, she wasn't sure she wanted to find out. What if the answer was that his lifeless body WAS in that cavern?"

It took less than a minute for the powerful mecha to draw out the smoke. Lance had donned a breathing mask and fire suppression canister and headed in to put out the small remaining fires.

Allura carefully went into the cavern with the remaining members of the emergency team. But Lance had been right. There were no more survivors. They had identified Loretta Com's body, but not the other three. The room that Allura had seen at the back of the cavern housed a cell whose door had been blasted off and inside was Keith's shirt. As she picked it up and held it to her chest she knew that Keith had been stolen away again.


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

 **Rating/Setting:** Rating is T for kissing and groping. I know, who knew that I would write a story with some mild groping? Flavor is DotU, but is part of the "Just a Kiss" story arc. 1. Just a Kiss, 2. Shirts vs Skins, 3. More, and , Answers, and Intrigue. You really need to read them all to make sense of the story. Stories 1-3 are all pretty short and should be a quick read if you are interested.

* * *

 **Chapter Sixteen**

Keith was led to a small room that had a combination of energy and metal bars for the wall. There were over ten of these rooms in this section of the ship and most had occupants. All of the cell inhabitants wore black with the green Stymax insignia. Most likely they were all prisoners destined for the slave market just as he was. The door to his cell was opened and he was forced to step just inside. His restraints were removed and he was given a slight shove that moved him far enough into the room to turn on the energy field and close the barred door. Keith's back throbbed where the Stymax had pushed. The beating he had taken the day before left it tender to the touch.

He noticed that Zedd and another Stymax guard that had escorted him were still at the door as he looked over his cell. It was definitely Spartan, but he didn't expect more. It had a shower with a clear curtain, an exposed toilet, and a cot. Keith walked over to the cot and saw that it contained a pair of black shorts that had the green Stymax insignia on both legs. Keith glanced back to Zedd. "I suppose this is what I'm to wear?"

Zedd nodded. "Take a shower and put that on. No other clothes are to be worn."

Keith dropped the shorts on the cot and turned back to his captor. "Aren't you worried that I'll be recognized?"

Zedd let out a booming laugh. "We're counting on it, Commander! The bulletin should draw in enough interest. There will be a minimum bid and potential buyers will have to prove they can meet that sum before they are allowed to view the goods." He gave another toothy grin to Keith before saying, "Those that can meet the sum will be given a chance to see you. Then those interested in bidding will do so. Bids will be anonymous and no one but the buyer and the Stymax will know who purchased you. So even if someone thought to go to Arus or the Alliance with information, they won't have anything to tell them except that you were on Steffan to be sold."

Keith glared at the pirate. There wasn't a lot there for him to work with.

"Six hours, Commander. That's how long before we take you to the market. Shower and change." Zedd and the other guard turned to leave.

Keith took a step closer to the force field and asked. "Do I get a meal?"

Laughing again, Zedd said, "We'll let your new owner decide when you eat." Then he left the corridor.

An examination of the room provided no weakness. He tried using water from the shower to short out the force field but all the primary electronics were in the walls and shielded. The only thing he got from attempting to short out the field was a humid cell as the water changed to steam. The solid surfaces of the room seemed unfazed by the water and the steam.

Sitting down on the cot, Keith picked up the black shorts and stared at the insignia. He had felt that he would be rescued when he was being held on Arus. Now… now he wasn't so sure.

.**********.

"Time to go!" Zedd's voice resounded through the metal room. All occupants of the cells looked at the owner of the voice but none of them moved from their cots. "I _said_ time to go!" This time he bellowed and everyone stood, including Keith although he did not stand with haste.

Keith watched while all the other prisoners were removed from the room. When the last one left, he asked, "Special treatment?"

Zedd laughed. "In the bustle of the group, you may have made an attempt at escape. With only you to watch and no one to use for you to use as cover, I think I can get you to the viewing room."

He was correct. Keith would have attempted something but now any attempt would be that much harder.

Zedd opened a small space in the force field and tossed in a black leather belt. "Put that on and then turn the buckle to the back, then kneel on the floor with your hands behind your back just like before."

Keith crossed his arms over his chest and made no move to follow Zedd's order. "I doubt you'll stun me on the highest setting."

With a smile on his face, Zedd walked to a nearby panel and keyed in a sequence of commands. In moments, a gas began to fill Keith's cell and only his cell as the force field held the gas in.

When Keith could no longer hold his breath, he inhaled the gas and began coughing. Dropping to the floor, he put a hand to his throat. Moments later he blacked out. When he came to, he was on his back on the floor wearing the belt and his hands were cuffed at his waist through a metal loop in the belt. His hand would barely move.

"I know you're awake now. The effects of the gas only last a few minutes. Just long enough to get you cuffed was all I needed." Zedd leaned down and pulled Keith's arm aiding him in standing.

Keith was unsteady for a moment and then his equilibrium returned. A small push from Zedd had him moving toward the door. They walked down a long corridor with no windows and few doors.

"Stop here," Zedd commanded. He stood before a nondescript door.

Keith looked for something that identified the location but didn't see anything until a recessed light blinked and the door clicked open.

"Entering now," Zedd said aloud. Taking Keith's arm, he moved into the room that was softly lit.

A three foot by three foot raised dais stood in the center of the small room and Keith was pushed to stand on top of it. A force field materialized briefly before winking out of existence. Realizing that he would not be getting out, Keith looked around the circular room that was lined with reflective glass; even the door was covered. When Zedd started speaking, Keith turned to face him.

"This is slave 0279." Zedd grinned. "I think that everyone in attendance knows exactly who he is." Zedd paused listening to a question only he could hear. "The injuries to his back occurred before we liberated him from his previous captors."

Keith looked around the room. He was being observed and evaluated by unknown persons behind the glass. Most likely one of them would purchase him and he would have no idea who. He turned back to Zedd.

"The cost is for 0279 alone. He does not have his… ship with him." Zedd's laugh rumbled as he added. "You honestly didn't think we had that did you? I doubt anyone in this room could afford it." He paused again. "If there are no further questions, then let the bidding begin."

Zedd pressed a button on his belt and a holo-display appeared around the dais and Keith watched as the bids came in the numbers on the display increased every second practically. His breath was taken away by the amount when the bidding ended. His heart hammered in his chest as he stared at a spot on the floor. The amount staggered him and he knew that whoever bought him would never let him go willingly and if he escaped they would put forth great effort to recapture him.

In just a few moments, Zedd spoke. "I have confirmation of payment. It's time to meet your owner," the pirate said with a harsh laugh.

Keith wasn't going to escape here; he'd have to bide his time. When Zedd took him by the arm, he didn't resist. It wouldn't do any good at the moment. After exiting the bidding room, the pair walked down another long windowless corridor. Keith never saw anyone even though he looked down every hallway they passed.

As if reading his thoughts, Zedd supplied, "Except for the slaves you saw in the holding area with you, no one here will see you except for the bidders. We paid extra to have these corridors cleared in order to keep your existence a secret."

The Stymax had indeed planned well. He could only hope his owner wouldn't be as thorough.

Zedd stopped at a small door and keyed in a numerical sequence. The door opened and a narrow hallway was exposed. This time Keith could see out windows that were evenly place. It was a gangway to a ship. Keith tried to get a glimpse of the ship but the angle of the gangway didn't give him much. But he could tell that the ship was located in a hanger and they weren't in space yet. Reaching the door at the end of the gangway, Zedd touch a panel and keyed in another sequence. When the door opened, Keith's eyes widened.

"So nice to see you again, Commander." The voice was velvety smooth.

"I'm sure you'll be pleased with your purchase," Zedd said as he pushed Keith into the ship but remained in the gangway himself.

"No doubt I will," Merla said with a smile and then closed the door.


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

 **Rating/Setting:** Rating is T for kissing and groping. I know, who knew that I would write a story with some mild groping? Flavor is DotU, but is part of the "Just a Kiss" story arc. 1. Just a Kiss, 2. Shirts vs Skins, 3. More, and , Answers, and Intrigue. You really need to read them all to make sense of the story. Stories 1-3 are all pretty short and should be a quick read if you are interested.

 **Author's Notes** : Thank you so much to those of you who reviewed the last chapter! I was out of town vacationing and this morning it was either reply to the reviews or upload. I chose to upload! So here is the next chapter and if you review and you allow PM then I'll be sure to respond this time! Once again, thank you to all who review and those who are reading.

* * *

 **Chapter Seventeen**

Keith stood in momentary shock as he looked at the beautiful Drule queen.

"Hello, Commander," she said with ease. "Come this way please."

Even though it was couched as a request, he knew it was a command. Still being in no position to argue, he followed the queen. As he walked behind her, he noticed that none of her crew paid him any particular attention making him believe that she had shared what she was doing with her crew.

Merla stopped before a door and touched the sensor; it opened and she gestured for Keith to enter. He paused in the entry as he saw it was a medical facility. He looked back over his shoulder as the guard behind him prodded him to enter. Turning back to the facility, Keith stepped further into the room. "Why am I here?"

Merla stepped in and the door closed behind him and the two guards that had followed him in. "Here in this room or here on my ship?"

"Both," Keith said simply.

As she nodded to the medical personnel, she answered. "You are on my ship because my dominion has been attacked." She waved a hand in irritation, making the bird she carried on her shoulder squawk and flap its large wings. "Zarkon and Lotor are not in the _mood_ to assist me, the Alliance is ignoring me, and I cannot let these attacks continue. My people are being enslaved, beaten and killed by the Normak." Crossing her arms over her ample chest, she said, "I need a seasoned military commander who tactics will turn the tide and I didn't have one… until today."

Keith's chin tilted up. "What makes you think I will help you?" He watched Merla's lip tilt up to a smile even as he felt a presence in his mind. He blinked rapidly. _Merla's mind control. Fight it!_

 _"_ _Move over to the medical bed, Commander_ ," the voice sounded in his mind.

And to his regret and chagrin, his body complied. In moments his restraints were removed and he was on the bed only to be restrained again. As her presence in his mind faded he asked again, "Why am I here?"

Merla looked over to the medical team and gave a nod. An IV was inserted in his arm and attached to a bag of fluid on a nearby stand. "My mind control is temporary. I need something more permanent."

"I'll never help you…." Keith's voice faded as he succumbed to the drugs and closed his eyes.

"Never is such a strong word," Merla said with a grim smile as she patted his arm.

.**********.

When Keith awoke, he was on a bed, restrained. He glanced around. Medical beeped and recorded numbers on screens. _Where am I? Was I injured?_ The thoughts went through his mind. He moved his body as much as possible and found that the only places he hurt were the back of his head and his back. _Maybe that explains my memory problems_ , he thought as he once again tried to piece together what happened. He remembered being assigned to a squadron with some of his friends. They were going to look for Voltron and use the robot to fight the Drules. He glanced down his prone form at the band across his chest and the ones holding his wrists. _Looks like I didn't make it._ Then a memory of a castle and prison flitted through his mind and were gone as the door to the room opened.

"I'm glad you're awake, Keith," the woman said as she entered with two guards.

His eyes widened. She was a Drule. The machines gave away his concern as they beeped with his increased heart rate. "How do you know my name?"

The woman's eyes momentarily moved to the machinery and then back to his face. "There was information about you in your ship." She paused and continued, "I know you're worried, but you don't have a reason to be. My name is Merla and I am ruler over a section of Drule territory."

"Why am I restrained?"

"We thought it prudent since you are Alliance and we are Drule. The concern was that you might not wait to hear why you are with us."

"Can you remove the restraints now?"

With a nod of her head, one of the guards moved to remove the restraints and Keith sat up carefully rubbing his wrists as he did so.

"Upon learning your name, I did some checking. You are considered top in your class from the Garrison. My forces are not being successful against the Normak Consortium and with your credentials I thought you might be of use."

"The Normak shouldn't be a threat to anyone based on their current— Wait, what year is it?"

Merla hesitated and then gave the date.

Keith's eyes narrowed. "That's over a year since the last date I remember. Where did you find me?"

"In a stolen ship from Castle Doom."

"Doom?" Keith looked at her warily.

"You and some other Garrison pilots were captured just over a year ago and you were imprisoned on Doom by Zarkon. You alone escaped a few weeks ago. Look at your right arm."

Keith looked down and saw a discoloration on his arm.

"That is where the Doom insignia was tattooed on your arm. You must have had it removed at one of the backwater planets you ran to. Someone from one of those planets gave you up to the Doomites. You were in a battle with them but managed to escape. I ran across your heavily damaged ship and rescued you," she ended with a smile and a gracious inclination of her head.

"If it was a rescue are you returning me to the…." Keith paused. Memories of the capture by Doom were entering his head but then he heard Merla.

" _You escaped the Doomites alone_."

Keith put a hand to his head. "I remember being captured but I think you're right. I think I escaped alone." The pain in his head was increasing.

"Of course you escaped alone." She came over to pat him on the shoulder. "Lie down. You need to rest. We'll have to restrain you again, but when you are feeling better, we'll talk about how you can assist me and perhaps win your freedom."

Keith closed his eyes and allowed himself to be lowered back to the bed and restrained. "Freedom," he whispered as he fell asleep.

.**********.

Allura stood with her hands clinched in front of her as she looked at the data on the screen.

"I'm sorry, Princess," Lance said as he moved to stand beside her. "By the time the Alliance got to Steffan and Corel, there was no sign of Keith."

Allura's voice was strained as she answered, "I don't think they looked enough. Someone would have seen him."

"On black market planets like Steffan and Corel, people don't see anything unless it will benefit them," Lance said with resignation. "Steffan and Corel were the two most likely places the Stymax would have taken Keith."

"Well maybe it wasn't the Stymax after all," Allura countered.

"Allura, Valeria told us it was the Stymax and several others confirmed," Coran said gently.

There was several moment of complete silence and then Allura heaved a large sigh. "So what is our next step?"

"We wait for someone to make a mistake and then we move swiftly when we figure out where Keith is," Lance responded.

"But we NEED to do SOMETHING!" Allura cried.

Coran took her gently by the shoulders. "We will, Princess. We will. We'll continue to send out messages and to look for anything that speaks of Keith. Obviously Doom doesn't have him so we can count our blessings for that. They would be quick to taunt us with it if he was there."

Allura leaned into Coran's arms. "I just feel so useless."

"We all do, Allura," he said as he hugged her gently.

After a moment, she pushed away and said, "I'm going to visit the prisoners to see if they can give us any more information." She saw Lance stiffen at the mention of prisoners. He had taken Isis' betrayal very hard but she knew that he had cared for the girl. "Would you like to come with me, Lance?"

With a quick nod he agreed and followed her from the room.

.**********.

Allura glanced at Lance as they walked the corridor to the detention facility in the castle. "How are you doing?"

Lance snorted and kept his gaze directed to the front. "Feeling used at the moment."

"She turned herself in," Allura said carefully.

Another snort. "AFTER the Circle failed and Keith was abducted.

"She could have disappeared before we discovered her link—"

Lance stopped short and turned an angry glare on Allura. "What do you want me to say, Princess? That once she's released we can pick right up where we left off?" He waved his hand in the air. "Not going to happen. And I can't believe that you're even concerned about her. She's the reason that the Circle knew about the visit that day." He poked himself in the chest and added, "I'M the reason they knew!" His hand dropped and he spun away to face the wall and dropped his head. "I'm as guilty as any of them."

Allura walked carefully up behind Lance and put a hand on his shoulder. "We ALL could have done things differently. I don't blame you for what happened. As for Isis, I'm not… sure. We're almost the same age—"

"And yet you never thought to sleep with someone to get information for a terrorist attack," Lance said as he faced the wall. His shoulders slumped. "All I can say is lesson learned." He turned back to Allura. "Let's go see if we can get some answers."

Not knowing what else she could say, Allura nodded.

.*********.

Valeria, Carp, and Isis stood before Allura and Lance. They had not been able to provide any new information. The Stymax were never supposed to take Keith off-world; they were only to question him in the mountain compound.

"If we had known—" Valeria began.

"Doesn't matter now, does it?" Lance cut in. His words were to Valeria, but his eyes were on Isis. "Regrets and apologies don't mean much to Keith and they don't mean much to us either." He turned and left the room.

Allura glanced at the door as it closed behind him and then turned back to Valeria. "If you do think of anything, let us know."

"Of course, Princess," Valeria replied softly as the princess left the room.


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

 **Rating/Setting:** Rating is T for kissing and groping. I know, who knew that I would write a story with some mild groping? Flavor is DotU, but is part of the "Just a Kiss" story arc. 1. Just a Kiss, 2. Shirts vs Skins, 3. More, and , Answers, and Intrigue. You really need to read them all to make sense of the story. Stories 1-3 are all pretty short and should be a quick read if you are interested.

 **Author's Notes:** Thank you FroofyB and GoPinkLion for your reviews last chapter. They are much appreciated!

* * *

 **Chapter Eighteen**

 _Three months later…_

Keith looked over the recently gathered intelligence on the Normak. He was only allowed to see information regarding their attacks and Merla's forces. Some of the data was Alliance data and Keith believed it to be authentic. It had taken a month for Keith to even consider Merla's proposal that he assist them. He refused until she showed him the devastating effects of a Normak attack on one of her planetary worlds. Queen Merla ruled what was basically a separatist and isolationist group of Drules. Her people would fight and they would occasionally band with other Drules when it benefited them, but for the most part, they stayed out of the war with the Alliance. There was no formal declaration of war between Merla's people and the Alliance. Because of this, Keith decided that he would assist Merla.

Merla entered the room where Keith was studying the data. "Do you have a plan for our next attack?" she asked as came to take a seat beside him. The vulture on her shoulder flapped its wings and moved over to her other shoulder, away from Keith.

Keith pulled up a star chart and enlarged a sector. "I think this is where we should attack next."

"Explain."

"We've had one large and successful engagement at the furthermost point in this sector but since then, we've had several smaller raids in other sectors. The Normak aren't sure where we're going to hit since we have parts of the fleet deployed to provide coverage to all your worlds—"

Merla interrupted to say, "After that battle at Olan where our smaller fleet defeated their much larger one, they are wary."

"Precisely," Keith agreed and then returned his attention to the sector map. "I am suggesting we attack on the other side of the sector. The Normak have a fleet there that is of a size that could cause serious damage to the Treille Prime system. Our ships are faster and we can move the main fleet over to Treille Prime and then stage the attack from there." Keith then went into details of the attack plan while Merla listened intently and voiced her own strategy ideas. After two hours they had completed their plan.

.**********.

Sven sat at one of the Control Center's computer consoles. He had leaned back in the chair and was thoughtfully stroking his chin as he read the report and looked at the star charts associated with it.

Lance walked briskly into the room and stood behind Sven's chair. "Anything of interest?" He scanned the report. "Looks like Merla's on the move and that Admiral Lystra has finally figured out how to command. Looks like they routed the Normak at Treille Prime."

"Yes it does look that way, doesn't it?" Sven sat forward. "It's odd that Lystra's made such progress in the last two months after almost a year of failed attacks and counterattacks."

Lance moved around where he could look at his friend's face. "You think Merla's up to something?"

Sven gestured toward the report and charts. "Read it and tell me what you think."

Lance turned his attention to the report and began reading it thoroughly instead of skimming over it. His hand moved to call up charts indicated by the report and then went back to reading and then back to the charts. His hands dropped to his sides as he stood up and stared at the last chart showing the ship deployment used by Lystra. "That's not Lystra, that's Keith."

Sven nodded as he looked up at Lance. "It certainly looks that way. This attack was exactly the same model as one Keith developed at the Academy for one of his senior projects."

"Let's go!" Lance said as he spun away but Sven was fast and grabbed his arm.

"We can't go charging in there, Lance! We have to have a plan!"

"But it all makes sense now!"

"It does. But we can't very well contact Merla and ask her to hand Keith back over to us. She'll deny she even has him."

"But the battle—"

Sven shook his head. "It's not like Keith owns it. She'll say they came up with it on their own."

Lance slammed his hand on the console. "Then what do we do?"

"We come up with a plan to get him back," Allura's words sounded right behind both men who had been so intent on their own conversation, they hadn't seen the princess come in. "I'd love to go in with a blazing sword and get him back, but I just don't think that will work."

"Let's go to a conference room," Lance suggested as he glanced around the room.

Moments later the three were in a conference room and they had sent calls out to Coran, Hunk, and Pidge.

.**********.

"What's going on?" Pidge asked as he entered the room and saw the team and Coran in attendance.

"We think we know where Keith is," Sven said evenly.

"Then what's the hold-up?" Hunk inquired as he sat forward at the table.

"Merla."

"Merla?" Pidge repeated.

"Yes," Sven responded and then pulled up the report from the battle of Treille Prime. "Only a few of those who were in Keith's class at the academy would recognize this as his handiwork."

"And you're one of the few?" Coran asked.

"Both of us," Lance responded. He waved a hand at the report. "Merla's trying to act like it's Lystra who's still in command, but this isn't her style and she had never won a battle against the Normak until Keith disappeared."

Hunk scanned over the report. "But why is Keith helping Merla?"

"He could be drugged," Lance responded.

"She could be using her mind control," Sven added which caused a hush to fall over the room.

"Or he might be making the best of a bad situation," Allura put in.

"What do you mean, Princess?" Coran asked as he looked up from the report.

"Merla has never been in direct conflict with the Alliance. And the Normak? Well, we all know how they operate. If the Alliance wasn't fighting the Drules on multiple fronts, they would go ahead and take care of them. Instead, Merla's been dealing with them on her own. I know if my people were being terrorized by them, I'd want to find a way to get them out of the Denubian."

Lance nodded. "Could be. Keith would do something like that."

"Or it could be a combination of things that has caused him to assist," Hunk said as he closed the report screen in front of him.

"Merla must have bought him from the Stymax and he would have commanded top dollar. She's not going to want to give him up," Lance said as he crossed his arm and swept his gaze across the assembled group.

"We need to find Merla," Allura announced.

"Princess—" Coran began but halted as Allura raised her hand.

"Keith would need to be near the battle lines wouldn't he? Wouldn't Merla be there?"

Sven looked at the princess thoughtfully. "Technically he could command the battle from wherever he wanted as long as he had a comm signal to monitor the battle and to give orders."

"We need more information," Coran said. "We need to know if any of the orders have been intercepted. If they have and they are in Lystra's voice, then she and Keith would be on the same ship."

"And then we would just have to locate Lystra," Pidge said with a smile. "I'm on it." He turned and left the room to begin his task.

"What do we do when we locate Keith?" Lance stated it in the positive manner that they would indeed find him.

"Whatever it takes," Allura said as quiet descended upon the room.

.**********.

Keith sat on his bed with back against the headboard and his legs stretched out before him. He stared at the blank wall at the foot of his bed. Once he began working with Merla his accommodations had been upgraded from the area where prisoners were kept to highly secured quarters on the same level as the other Drule officers. He had attempted escape once but was he caught before he ever got to the hanger to steal a small ship.

The fingers of his right hand probed through his thick hair trying to find a scar that wasn't there. Immediately after awakening on Merla's ship he had tried to find the surgery she spoke of, but he had found no evidence. At least no evidence until someone pushed a button somewhere that literally dropped him to his knees as he stopped breathing. The mysterious surgery had implanted something in his brain stem that allowed the Drules to control his autonomic functions. What better way to stop an escape that just have the prisoner stop breathing?

His hand fell to the mattress as the chime outside his door sounded. "Who is it?"

"Merla."

"Come in," he said as he swung his legs off the bed and stood to greet her with a slight bow.

"I was told that you wished to speak to me."

Keith stared into Merla's eyes. "I've remembered some things," he began and noticed her eyes narrow. He rubbed the faded area on his arm where the Doom tattoo would have been. "I remember being captured but I still don't remember escaping. However, I do remember a girl with blonde hair."

"Someone from you past perhaps," Merla said as she crossed her arms in front of her.

Keith shook his head in a negative fashion. "No. She's not from my past. I'd remember a girl that looked like that."

Merla laughed. "Obviously not since you don't know who she is. Just let it go, Commander." Merla waved her hand dismissively in the air and turned back to the door.

"What don't you want me to remember, Merla?"

Glancing back at him, she replied, "I don't know what you mean."

"How long do you plan on keeping me?" Keith's hands clinched at his side.

This time Merla turned around. "Until you can buy your freedom," she said seriously.

"Buy?" Keith asked in confusion.

"Yes, buy. Tomorrow, I'll go over with you various holdings of the Normak. Each holding will have a price. Successful campaigns against the Normak will earn you credit toward your freedom. Failure will add that amount to price you have to pay."

"This isn't a game, Merla," Keith said in a low deadly voice. "These are your people's lives we're talking about here."

Merla stepped toward him and pointed in his face. "Yes, it is. My people have been suffering and I want to free them. I won't have you flinging their lives at battles they can't hope to win just on the chance you might win credit toward your freedom. You win when my people win. When we lose, we ALL lose." Merla turned swiftly to the exit , her cape swirling behind her.

Keith sat on the bed. Tomorrow he'd find out what it would take to gain his freedom; not that he was sure that Merla could be trusted. But at least he'd have a goal to work toward.

.**********.

Merla paced angrily outside Keith's door for several moments and then stopped as she looked thoughtfully at the door to his room. He _cared_ about her people's lives. He was actually concerned that _she_ was the one looking to foolishly endanger them in the name of conquest. A small smile curved her lips. He cared about her people; the people under _his_ command. She would honor her agreement with him but until then, she knew that he'd command her people wisely.


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

 **Rating/Setting:** Rating is T for kissing and groping. I know, who knew that I would write a story with some mild groping? Flavor is DotU, but is part of the "Just a Kiss" story arc. 1. Just a Kiss, 2. Shirts vs Skins, 3. More, and , Answers, and Intrigue. You really need to read them all to make sense of the story. Stories 1-3 are all pretty short and should be a quick read if you are interested.

 **Author's Notes:** Thank you so much to those of you who are reviewing! They are much appreciated!

* * *

 **Chapter Nineteen**

 _2 more months have passed; it is now 5 months since Keith was abducted_

Hunk threw his helmet across Castle Control. "How much more can we take?"

"As much as we have to to keep Arus safe," Coran said calmly.

"Well, I'm sure the people aren't feeling very safe right now," Lance said as he put his helmet under his arm and raised a hand to wipe a trickle of blood from his forehead.

"Lotor knows that Keith is missing and he's stepped up his attacks," Allura said as she rubbed her sore shoulder. She glanced to Sven who stood with his eyes closed. "I'm sure he's hoping that we'll give up."

Sven opened his eyes and looked to Allura. "I'm not giving up. Romelle understands."

"She may understand, but it can't be easy," Allura continued gently. "I've asked the Alliance to send— " she paused and drew a deep breath. "I've asked them to send a replacement pilot. It's unfair for me to keep you here." When Sven went to interrupt she raised her hand to stop him. "It's unfair to keep you here when your heart is on Pollux."

Sven nodded but added, "But I have a score to settle with Lotor. I don't mind being here to do that."

Allura smiled and said, "The Alliance hasn't given me any time frame for the replacement. Arus is grateful for your willingness to serve here."

Pidge looked up from the computer he was working at. "Finally!" he called.

"What is it Pidge?" Allura asked as she moved over to stand behind the boy.

"The Alliance has finally come through," he said as he turned back toward his screen. "They've sent me several audio files that they captured from Merla's last battle against the Normak."

Allura put her hand on Pidge's shoulder. They had all been upset when the Alliance wouldn't send any ships to the areas where Merla's fleets were located. They said that they couldn't risk inciting her when she wasn't actively participating with the other Drule factions. The battles that were being fought were within her territory or that of the Normak but recently, Merla's fleets were taking the battle to the Normak along the border with Alliance worlds.

Pidge's fingers moved quickly over the keyboard and then a female voice came over the speakers and the speaker was identified as Lystra and she was giving commands.

Lance pumped his fist in the air. "That's where he is! Now we can go!"

Allura drew a deep breath and released it as she shook her head no. "It's too far to take Voltron. I can't take Voltron there or I'll validate everything that the Circle wants people to believe about me."

Sven put a hand on Allura's shoulder. "But we can't leave him there."

"No. We can't." Her voice became softer. "I can't."

"Then what do we do, Princess?" Hunk asked.

"We present the data to the Alliance and see what they say."

"They'll say it's circumstantial. They won't risk war with Merla on the hunch that Sven and I have that it's Keith's leading her fleet." Lance's tone was angry.

"Still, we have to ask." She looked at her hands. "If he's commanding, Merla isn't going to hurt him." Her tone lost some of its confidence as she spoke. "He's been gone five months and the tactics of her fleet have remained constant. He's there and he's alive." With that she turned to leave but stopped to say, "Sven, Lance, please compose the message to the Alliance and send it."

"Will do, Princess," Lance responded as she left the room.

Allura leaned against the wall next to the door. "He has to be alive," she whispered.

.**********.

 _Two days later…_

Merla closed the communication with Admiral Hawkins of Alliance. She could feel the eyes of her crew upon her as she stared at the console in front of her. Lifting her head, she turned to Lystra. "I'll be with the Commander if I'm needed."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Lystra said with a bow.

As Merla left the bridge she wondered why the Alliance was asking about Keith now. What had happened to make them question whether he was her captive? She paused for just a moment as she walked down the corridor. Lystra had been an ineffectual commander and now suddenly she was winning battles against the Normak with brilliant strategy. And when did her brilliancy start? Shortly after Keith Kogane was abducted from Arus. She cursed herself for a moment. She should have realized how it would have looked. But her people were being killed and sold into slavery. She didn't have time to work his strategy in slowly. No, she had taken the best course for her people. She stopped outside the commander's room.

Keith had been methodical in his battle tactics the last two months, choosing many targets with a high value on Merla's scale but making sure to have smaller raids to keep the Normak off-guard. She had been incredibly pleased with his commitment and concern for her people under his command. He was nearing the completion of his purchase price. She knew that his next target was a mining world called Hun Three controlled by the Normak. There were many slaves from her worlds but there were also slaves from Alliance worlds and Keith was determined to liberate them all. It would be up to Merla to hold on to Hun Three after the Normak were defeated. The monies from the mining interests would do much to rebuild her empire and to give restitution to those harmed by the Normak. With the conquest of this world, Keith would have met his purchase price.

He was expecting her to free him and that is what she intended to do.

Merla rang the chime. "Commander? It's Merla. May I speak with you?"

"Enter." He stood as she entered and bowed.

"The preparations for the attack on Hun Three proceed as you have directed." She paused, unsure for once of the words to speak. "When we take the planet, you will have met the purchase price for your freedom."

He inclined his head.

"I have a proposition for you."

Keith raised a brow at her and said, "Sorry, you're not my type."

Merla's brows drew together in irritation and her eyes swept over his clothed body as she said, "You're a little pale for my tastes." She moved to the only chair in the room and sat. It was welded to the floor as Keith had used it to knock out a guard in his failed escape attempt. For once, Keith seemed a little uncertain as she sat in his room; something she had never done before. Once he was seated, she continued. "It's a military proposition. I want you to stay on as the Admiral of my fleet."

"Not the figurehead? Not as a slave or prisoner?"

"As Admiral and free man."

.**********.

Keith stared at the lovely Drule queen and repeated the end of her statement. "As a free man. As a man who can verify what you have told me about my past since I was captured." He saw her hesitate. "What are you hiding from me? What do you NOT want me to know?"

Merla stood. "After Hun Three, I will tell you all."

"Why now?"

"I have my reasons."

"And you're not going to tell me," he asked.

"No."

Keith inclined his head. He couldn't make her tell him but for some reason he did believe that she would reveal at least some of his past after they took Hun Three. There were Alliance captives there as well as Drule and he would have assisted her to take the world even if it carried no value to his freedom. As someone held captive he wanted to free others since he couldn't free himself.

.**********.

"I'm sorry, Princess Allura. Queen Merla denied any knowledge of Keith," Admiral Hawkins reported.

"Of course she did!" Allura said with exasperation and clasped her hands more tightly in front of her.

"But we're watching her fleet movements closely. We'll be looking for more signs that Commander Kogane is directing their movements and if more evidence is shown, we'll intervene."

"In the meantime, Arus is left without him," Allura said forcefully.

She hated it when his features softened as she knew that he had guessed her secret. "Coran, transfer this call to the conference room." She turned quickly and headed for the smaller room and motioned for the rest of the team to stay in the control center. This was a conversation that she needed to have alone with the admiral, who was Keith's direct supervisor. As the door closed behind her, the screen on the wall blinked and then the admiral was on the screen.

"Admiral, I need to inform you of something," Allura said calmly. Except for Coran and the team, she hadn't shared with anyone the increasingly intimate nature of her relationship with Keith. It was… awkward. "I'm sure the Alliance has reasoned why the commander was abducted. Can you tell me what you have determined?"

"The most obvious reason would be because he is the highest ranking Alliance officer on Arus." He paused and then said, "The less obvious reason would be because in controlling him, the Circle hoped to control you."

"You are correct, Admiral. The Circle was able to work out that the commander means more to me than the pilot of Black Lion. For that reason he was abducted." Allura paused and then continued, "But his worth to the Stymax was in his knowledge as an Alliance officer." She drew a deep breath and released it. "Merla's fleet is too far for me to authorize taking Voltron. It would be irresponsible of me as a leader; however, as a woman, I have to go after Keith. If the Alliance won't go after Keith, then I will need to abdicate so that I can."

"Princess!" Hawkins began but stopped when Allura continued.

"I think you know the unrest that would result if things come to that. The Alliance wouldn't be able to guarantee that the next ruling body would align with the Alliance."

Hawkins eyes narrowed. "You are a shrewd woman, Princess. The Alliance cannot risk the loss of Voltron to either Doom or to political forces." Hawkins glanced to another screen. "Merla's forces look like they will be attacking Hun Three. After that engagement, we'll pursue further inquiries her."

Allura inclined her head. "I look forward to hearing from you." She signed off and dropped her head to her chest as her eyes closed. "I'm trying, Keith. I said I'd fight for you and I will. No matter what, I'll find you."


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

 **Rating/Setting:** Rating is T for kissing and groping. I know, who knew that I would write a story with some mild groping? Flavor is DotU, but is part of the "Just a Kiss" story arc. 1. Just a Kiss, 2. Shirts vs Skins, 3. More, and , Answers, and Intrigue. You really need to read them all to make sense of the story. Stories 1-3 are all pretty short and should be a quick read if you are interested.

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty**

Merla smiled in triumph as the leader of the Normak bowed before her. He had just signed a treaty with her. She would no longer pursue or attack their holdings and they would abandon the two remaining Drule worlds and cede Hun Three to her control. As the Normak left her ship, her smile faded.

"Lystra, I'll be with the commander in the conference room. Please see that we are not interrupted, no matter how loud the yelling gets." Merla moved to a nearby stand where she removed the bird from her shoulder and placed him upon it. "Set course for the Denubian system."

"Yes, my Queen," Lystra said as she bowed.

Merla entered a nearby conference room to find Keith standing with his back against the wall, his eyes on the monitor that had displayed the final meeting with the Normak to end the conflict.

"You might wish you hadn't given the order," he said as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I have a feeling that I'm not going to like what you have to tell me."

Merla moved with calm and grace to a chair at the table and seated herself. She artfully arranged the material of her cape and then she picked up a data-pad. She keyed in a few codes and then laid it in front of her. "You realized weeks ago that there was missing time. That your escape and my finding you were longer than just a few weeks." Keith nodded and she continued as she pushed the data-pad in front of him. "Here is what the Alliance and Doom have released about the missing months."

.**********.

Keith sat across from Merla and picked up the tablet. His eyes read over the information and sometimes he had to go back. _We did find Voltron._ His eyes reread the part about Sven being injured and was then happy to see that his friend recovered from his injuries. His brows drew together. _Who_ _is this Princess Allura and why is she flying a Voltron Lion?_ He read more and found that this same princess was pursued by Zarkon's son, Lotor. There were many battles to read over and he was pleased to note that Voltron was victorious.

Finally his eyes came to the end of the information. _I was kidnapped by Arusian dissidents and then by the Stymax._ He looked up from the data-pad. "You bought me didn't you?" At Merla's nod, he asked, "Why didn't you just ask for help?"

Merla laughed and smirked at him. "Come now, Commander. I know that at the time you left for Arus, my standing with the Alliance was shaky and even if it wasn't, do you think that the Alliance would have assisted me, a Drule?"

Keith put down the tablet and leaned back. "You could have asked me instead of—what? Erasing my memories?!" Keith leaned forward as he yelled and slapped both palms on the table as he stood to glare down at Merla. "You had NO RIGHT to do that to me!"

Merla stood so quickly her chair fell back to the floor as she matched Keith's stance at the table. "I may have had no right, but I had NO CHOICE!" She pointed a finger at him, "You saw my people on the Normak occupied worlds, it was every bit as heinous as the atrocities of Doom. The Alliance knew even without my asking, but no assistance was offered." She straightened. "When I heard from the Stymax that a high-ranking Alliance officer would be up for auction, I went. I had no idea at the time that it was you. I was looking for any help I could find. But when I saw it was you, I knew that I had a chance to turn the tide against the Normak."

Keith straightened his posture as well. "Did you ask for my assistance?"

"I did and you said you'd never help me," she smiled grimly at him. "Never is such a strong word, Commander."

Keith narrowed his eyes at her. "You showed me what the Normak was doing and I said no?"

"I told you what was happening and you said no. There was no way you'd leave Arus and Allura for me," she spat at him.

"Allura?" he asked. "The princess that flies a Voltron Lion?"

"Yes. Do you remember her?" Merla seemed interested in his answer.

"I remember a girl with golden hair and blue eyes. Is that her?"

"Yes."

"I don't remember more than that image."

"Well, you'll have quite a surprise coming."

Keith looked at her questioningly. "Are you going to keep your promise? Is that why we're heading to the Denubian?"

"Yes. I'm taking you back to Arus unless you choose to stay with me."

"You bought me at a slave market. I'm an Alliance officer and I have a job to do."

"They haven't worked very hard to bring you back." She motioned to the data-pad. "You can check and see. The Voltron Force has done all right in your absence. You can leave them and join me. I would make you Admiral of my fleet." Merla's eyes shown with the prospect.

Keith looked at Merla with surprise. It was true that they did not have a master/slave relationship. Already, they functioned as Queen and Fleet Admiral… but this was not his place. His tone was more respectful as he answered, "I know the great honor that would be. But my place is with the Alliance and on Arus."

She nodded. "I expect that you will find that even more so when you return to Arus."

Keith looked at her with a perplexed expression which she seemed to ignore.

"I could have my surgeon's remove the implant or you can have the doctor on Arus do it."

"I'd prefer to have it done on Arus."

Merla laughed, "I don't blame you." She nodded her head. "We'll be at Arus tomorrow." She gave him a mischievous smile, "I'd like for you to be with me with I contact Arus later today."

"I'd like that," Keith replied.

"Would you also consider not wearing a shirt?" Merla asked with the smile still on her face.

Keith stared at her. "You're actually serious. No. I will not consider going shirtless for the contact." He made to leave the room and then stopped. "Why did you even ask?"

Merla reached over the abandoned data-pad, "I'm sure that you can realize that some might think I wanted you for something other than your military genius." She let her eyes travel over his body and then shrugged, "Who am I to pass up a little fun at Princess Allura's expense."

Keith shook his head as he left the room. Merla's laugh followed him out as he waited for his escorts. They were more a formality now but it was habit. As he walked toward his room, Merla's comments stuck with him. He could have been severely abused by someone buying him at a Stymax slave auction. The fact that Merla had not done more to him than she had was a blessing. True, she had altered his memory and held him captive for months, but she was returning him to Arus and if she were to be believed, she was providing the Arusians with the knowledge to remove the memory device and autonomic dampener. Yes, things could have been much worse.

.**********.

"What do you think she wants?" Lance asked Allura as they waited with the rest of the team and Coran in the small conference room.

"If she has Keith, I'm hoping she's bringing him back. But that's not likely if she bought him from the Stymax." Allura shook her head, "I don't know. Maybe she just wants to tell us herself that she doesn't have him." She shrugged, "Not that I'll believe her."

Lance snorted. "It is odd that the Alliance reported to us that her ship bearing put her in our direction and that she wasn't responding to any hails from Alliance ships."

"She's probably feeling confident with her recent routing of the Normak," Sven said as he walked over.

Hunk glanced at the large viewscreen in the conference room, "When are we expecting that call?"

Coran checked the timer. "About two minutes."

"Seems like longer than two minutes," he grumbled.

"Here it is," Coran said as he completed the connection a few moments later.

Merla's form appeared in the viewscreen with the vulture-like bird upon her shoulder. "Greetings, Princess." Merla nodded and then acknowledged Coran and the Force.

Allura's nerves were on edge as she greeted the queen. "Greetings, Merla. But I'm thinking you didn't come for a social call."

Merla smirked. "Indeed I didn't. I came to bring you back something that was stolen from you." Her eyes shifted to the side and Keith stepped into view.

All of those in the conference room, excepting Allura, stepped forward with various exclamations. Allura's eyes locked onto Keith and she stood in shock of seeing him so… whole and unhurt.

Merla raised her hand and the bird on her shoulder squawked. "Remember, I said I'm returning him to you. But I need to explain a few things—"

"You bet you do!" Lance said as he took an aggressive step forward.

"Control him if you can, Princess," Merla said as she gave Lance a dismissive look. "As I was saying, I showed up at the Stymax auction because I heard that an Alliance officer would be sold and I was sorely in need of some strategic help against the Normak. Imagine my surprise when I discovered the high-ranking officer was none other than Commander Kogane."

"But you didn't return him after you bought him," Sven said crossing his arms over his chest.

"I wasn't at the auction for charity reasons. My people were hurting and my forces were ineffective." She turned her gaze to Allura. "I'm sure you can understand why I needed help and how it feels to be ignored by the Alliance."

Allura nodded. "I can understand. But you left Arus in a vulnerable position—"

"Commander Holgersson has filled in nicely. You could make do for a few months without Keith, I could not."

Allura clinched her fists at her side. "I won't argue with you further about that." She turned her attention to Keith. "Keith, are you okay?"

"I am okay, Princess," he said carefully.

"Is something wrong, Keith?" Lance said as he moved to stand beside Allura.

Keith looked to Merla and then back to the screen. "When Merla brought me to her ship I refused to help her. To gain my agreement, she had a memory device implanted. I can't remember anything after our capture by Doom."

Allura drew in a sharp breath. "You don't remember any of your time on Arus?" She stared into Keith's eyes through the veiwscreen and knew before he answered that he did not.

"I'm sorry; I don't."

"Why you—" Lance began only to be cut off by Merla.

"I'm returning him to you with the needed information to remove the memory device and the autonomic dampener which Keith failed to mention." She glared at Lance as she added, "I only used that once to keep him from escaping. Once the implants are removed, all his memories should come back. Just know that sometimes it's a little more than the brain can handle and he may recall things in pieces."

"When will you be delivering Keith and the information?" Allura asked coldly.

"We should arrive in Arusian airspace in two hours. We'll send him down in a single-man ship with the information and then we'll depart. You can contact us if there are any questions about the procedure."

"Be sure to leave quickly once you have returned him," Allura said to Merla and then turned a softer gaze to Keith. "It'll be good to have you back, Keith."

He nodded and said, "I look forward to being back and getting my memories back as well."

"Now don't you see how much more fun it would have been if you had been shirtless?" Merla said with a laugh as she went to end the call.

As the screen blinked out, Lance stood momentarily speechless beside Allura, then he asked, "Did Keith just do an eye roll at Merla?"

"Yes, he did," Sven said as he moved up beside Lance. "It seemed that the two of them were on friendly terms."

Allura could feel his gaze on her. "Do you think he was more to her than a military officer?"

Lance shook his head no. "He's an Alliance officer; he wouldn't do that."

"With his memories hidden, could he?" She flinched as she said the words.

"No," Sven said as he took her arm. "Whether he did or didn't know she took his memories, she held him against his will and must have limited his access to outside information. He would never become intimate with someone holding him captive."

Allura relaxed and looked at the blank screen. "Until he remembers our relationship, I don't want any of you to mention it."

"But Princess—"

"No, Coran. He has to remember on his own or start a new relationship. I won't force it on him. The Circle speculated, but _we_ are the only ones who really know the truth."

Lance grabbed the arm that Sven had dropped and turned Allura to face him. "Don't be ridiculous!"

Allura snatched her arm from Lance. "Not a word," she said in a soft but menacing tone.

Finally, he nodded.

Allura walked from the room leaving a quiet murmur behind her.


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

 **Rating/Setting:** Rating is T for kissing and groping. I know, who knew that I would write a story with some mild groping? Flavor is DotU, but is part of the "Just a Kiss" story arc. 1. Just a Kiss, 2. Shirts vs Skins, 3. More, and , Answers, and Intrigue. You really need to read them all to make sense of the story. Stories 1-3 are all pretty short and should be a quick read if you are interested.

 **Author's Note:** I'm on vacation sorry for delay!

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-One**

As Keith docked the small ship in the castle's hangar bay, he saw that a small crowd had gathered in the area. He climbed out of the cockpit and down the ladder that had been placed against the ship and then jumped to the floor. Turning, he faced his friends and the people identified as Princess Allura and Coran. There was a man he could not identify.

Lance stepped up and pulled Keith into a hug and hit him on the back several times. "So good to have you back, Keith." He released him and stepped back as Sven stepped up to embrace him as well.

"Glad you're back. I'm glad that I don't have to ask Romelle to join me here on a permanent basis." He stepped back with a smile.

"Romelle?" Keith asked with a puzzled look.

Sven looked to Allura and back. "When you get your memories back, you'll understand."

"Speaking of that." Keith held out a small data chip. "Merla tells me that everything needed to restore my memory to what it was is on the disk."

The man that Keith didn't know stepped forward and reached for the disk but Keith pulled it back protectively.

The man looked up startled. "I'm sorry. I didn't introduce myself. I'm Dr. Gorma. I'll be performing the surgery."

"Oh," Keith said as he extended his hand once again with the disk. The doctor gently took it from him. "I'm sorry. I'm sure everyone here knows who I am. I just don't remember anyone."

"That's okay, son," Gorma said as he patted Keith on the back. "I'm afraid you'll have too many memories of me once your surgery is complete."

"Was I injured a lot?"

"In the line of duty." Princess Allura she stepped forward and extended a hand to him. "I'm Princess Allura," she said as she shook his hand and gestured to the man beside her. "This is Coran, my royal advisor and guardian."

Keith shook his hand as well. He scanned the group. "I really want to remember. Dr. Gorma, when can you perform the surgery?" All eyes turned to Gorma and Keith was sure the doctor knew they were all waiting for his answer.

"I can't say yet, Commander. I need to review the procedure and then do a simulation with the staff that would be assisting me. This would be our first surgery of this type and I'm sure you want us to practice on the sim before we operate on you."

Keith let out a sigh. "Yes, you're right, doctor." He shook his head. "I just can't explain how disconcerting it is to see everyone and know that I have memories with each of you and remember nothing about them." He scanned across the group and noticed that Allura blushed as he spoke. He looked at her for a moment longer and then looked beyond her to the crowd that was growing. "Why are all these people here?"

Allura glanced over her shoulder. "Many are castle staff and some of the local villagers who have learned that you returned. They've come to see for yourself that you're really here." Her voice softened, "You've been sorely missed, Keith."

His eyes returned to hers and saw the blush creep into her face once again. He'd have to ask Lance about that. Looking back to the crowd, he asked, "Are there any security concerns?"

"Concerns?" Coran asked and then continued, "Ah, you mean from the Circle." He shook his head. "We have apprehended those in the leadership. They are a minority faction here on Arus. Most Arusians were appalled and outraged at your abduction, Commander. Do not judge the feeling of Arus on the minority that took you captive."

Keith nodded and looked at Allura again. "Can someone show me to my quarters? I'd like to see what I have in there, maybe it will give me something to think about until the good doctor can perform the surgery."

Lance slapped him on the back. "I'll take you to your room, Keith."

The pair left the others behind as they headed toward the elevator.

"So tell me, Keith, what really happened on that ship with you and Merla?"

Keith laughed. "You heard her comment about being shirtless didn't you?"

"I think she purposely let us hear that before closing the channel." Lance paused, "So tell me. The two of you seemed almost chummy."

Keith shrugged. "I saw firsthand what was being done to her people. I couldn't let them be slaughtered and enslaved. I couldn't find anything showing that helping her would hurt the Alliance."

"So that's all you did. Help her win the battles," Lance continued to press.

Keith glanced at his second-in-command, "That's all, Lance. Merla said something to me about wanting to push Allura's buttons." He stopped and asked, "And just why would my being shirtless push the Princess' buttons?"

Lance opened his mouth and then closed it. Finally, he shook his head and just started walking. In just a few strides they reached the elevator.

As Keith entered with him, he asked again, "Why?"

"I'm not at liberty to say," Lance responded as he looked at the elevator controls and selected the correct level. "Our quarters are on Level 3."

"Lance?"

Lance turned to him and said, "Princess Allura asked me, all of us actually, not to say anything. If you want more before your surgery, you'll have to ask her."

Keith looked thoughtfully at his friend. "Does it have something to do with why she was blushing so much when we met?"

Lance couldn't help the grin that formed on his face. "Definitely. But that's all I'll say."

Keith turned to exit with the doors opened. "I can't wait to have that surgery. This is like some kind of game where everyone has the answers but me."

A short walk down the corridor had them at quarters for the Force where Lance pointed out their rooms. Gesturing to the room on the right, he said, "That one's yours."

Keith keyed the sensor with his hand and stepped into the room that had been his… was his. He didn't recognize it at all, but he did see some things that had meaning to him. A picture here and there. He went to the closet and smiled as he opened it. He definitely remembered the red flight suit. "I see I didn't change too much."

Lance chuckled behind him, which caused Keith to turn. "You changed more than you know."

Keith glared at him, "But you're not going to tell me."

"Nope," Lance said with a huge grin.

"Well, I see you haven't changed much."

Lance continued to grin.

Keith waved him away. "Go on. I'm fine here. I'll call you or one of the others if I get lost."

As Lance went to the door, he turned back one more time. "All joking aside, Keith, it's good to have you back."

When his friend left, Keith sat on the bed and looked around. "I just wish I remembered."

.**********.

The next day Keith stood in Castle Control with the rest of the Force. "So I just jump in that chute and it takes me to the Black Lion?" Keith pointed to the dais.

"Yes," the group chorused.

"And I can fly it?"

Sven walked up and clapped him on the shoulder. "When has there been a ship you _couldn't_ fly?"

Keith finally smiled. He had never lacked for confidence when it came to flying. To be honest, he was nervous. All the other pilots had been flying these Lions for a year and while he had as well, he had no memory of it. "You're right."

"I'll go out with you, Keith," Allura said as she stepped closer. "I should be able to answer any questions you have in flight."

Keith looked with surprise to Lance, but his second-in-command didn't see anything unusual with the princess going. "Sounds good," he finally said when Lance didn't say anything. Keith walked to the chute and looked into the black abyss and the T-bar in front of him. With a deep breath and a silent prayer he grabbed the bar and dropped into the inky blackness.

As he dropped into the shuttle, he noticed that his clothing had changed, just as Lance had told him. In moments, he was rising from the shuttle into the Black Lion. As the command chair clicked into place, he looked around the cockpit. His hand immediately went to the key on his uniform and he positioned it correctly in the slot. Hands moved over the controls with the muscle memory that comes from repeated action.

"I… I don't remember any of it, but my body does," Keith said over the comm link. He took the Lion through a series of maneuvers that looked perfect.

"Keith, follow me, we're going to the Flatland Mesa for some target practice," Allura said through the link.

"Moving to follow you, Blue Lion," Keith responded.

.*********.

The Voltron Force plus Coran watched Keith's maneuvers with a critical eye.

Lance muted the comm link. "He looks perfect. Even if his memory doesn't return quickly, we should be fine. He hasn't lost any of his reflexes."

"I'll stay until he's recovered from the surgery," Sven responded.

"I think that would be the safest thing," Hunk agreed. "He's good right now, but what happens if the brain surgery doesn't go as planned."

Hunk's words hung in the air. They were all counting on Keith getting his full memory back.

.**********.

The exercise ended; Black and Blue hung suspended in the air over the Flatlands.

"Princess, I was wondering if I can go to the Chozzerai River Bridge?" Keith asked over the comm.

"Of course you can, Commander. Would you like for me to accompany you?" Allura's image showed on his side screen.

"I'd like that." Keith turned Black Lion toward the river. Arriving at the point where the river entered the Altean Sea, he set the Lion down and climbed down. The wind was blowing steadily from the sea onto the land and the breeze wiped his dark hair around his face. In just a few moments, he felt her presence beside him. A sideways glance showed that she was looking out to sea.

"Is there a reason you wanted to come here?" she asked.

"For some reason it seems familiar but I have no memory of it. Should I?" He asked as he gazed out to the open water.

"We had a battle with Lotor here."

Keith looked around. "The area seems to have recovered well."

"My people are resilient. They wanted to rebuild even after Doom destroyed the bridge."

They gazed in silence at the white-tipped waves and then Keith spoke. "I have only one image in my memory that is after the team was captured by Zarkon." He turned to face her, not caring about how the wind blew his hair across his face. "The image was of you, Princess."

The princess turned to him but looked at his chest, not his face. "Do you know why that would be the image you would remember?" Her eyes rose to his.

"No, but I was hoping you might tell me," he said as softly as he could in the wind.

"Let's see what you remember," she said after a moment and then turned back toward her Lion.

Keith heaved a sigh of frustration. He was convinced more than ever that there was something going on between him and the princess, but if no one confirm it, he had nothing to go on. His eyes closed as he prayed that all of his memories returned.

.**********.

Two days later, Doom attacked and Keith flew the Black Lion. His commands were only slightly slower than normal and Voltron remained victorious. As the team returned to Castle Control, Keith received acknowledgements and slaps on the back. Sven looked at his friend and smiled. "Good job, Keith," he said as the team filed in.

Keith looked at his hands. "Everything seemed to come back to me. Maybe a hesitation here or there," he looked up to Sven, "but it all came back."

"It'll be even better when your memory returns," Hunk added.

Coran cleared his throat. "Just before the claxons sounded, Dr. Gorma contacted me. The surgical team will be ready to perform the surgery first thing in the morning."

Keith sighed with relief, "Finally."

.**********.

Allura watched Keith carefully. Even if he never regained those memories, he was still a capable pilot and commander. There wouldn't be any need for Sven to stay or to request a replacement. The only thing that could be truly lost would be her personal relationship with Keith. It was a high price to pay if she had to pay it, but the alternative of him being dead or the slave of some person who would abuse him. It was a price that would be very dear if she couldn't rebuild the relationship.


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

 **Rating/Setting:** Rating is T for kissing and groping. I know, who knew that I would write a story with some mild groping? Flavor is DotU, but is part of the "Just a Kiss" story arc. 1. Just a Kiss, 2. Shirts vs Skins, 3. More, and , Answers, and Intrigue. You really need to read them all to make sense of the story. Stories 1-3 are all pretty short and should be a quick read if you are interested.

 **Author's Note:** I've been on vacation but I'm back now. I was posting and replying to reviews best I could so if I missed you, I'm sorry! However, please do review! Thanks as always.

* * *

 **Chapter 22**

His gloves already shed; Dr. Gorma pulled the mask off his face as he exited the operating theater. As he entered the surgical waiting room, he glanced at the faces of concern as everyone stood at his entrance. "Commander Kogane is resting comfortably. We believe that the surgery was a success. There was minimal scarring on the brain tissue and his autonomic functions are working as they should be."

"What about his memory, Dr. Gorma," Coran asked for the group.

"That we will have to determine once the commander regains consciousness. We plan to bring him out of sedation in a couple of hours when I will work with the commander in regards to medication to help adjust to the return of his memories." The doctor scanned the room. They had been told that Keith may need some drugs to help with his adjustment as the overwhelming nature of a year's worth of memories returning could be damaging if his brain couldn't handle it.

"When do you think we can see him?" the princess asked and he could see the concern in her eyes.

"I think it would be best for me to notify you. When dealing with the psyche, it is best to be flexible."

Coran nodded at him. "Whatever you think best, Dr. Gorma."

"I'll be sure to notify Castle Control when visitor can come or if there are any changes." Gorma left the waiting room knowing that he provided little information and left many questions.

.**********.

Keith's headed pounded. He could hear a voice but he didn't see much as he opened his eyes slightly. Then the voice became more than just dissonant notes of partial words; the words became sentences that he could comprehend.

"Commander, I need for you to focus on me."

"Dr. Gorma?" Keith asked as he blinked rapidly in the low light.

"Yes, Keith. It's me. Can you tell me where you are?"

"The Castle's Medical Bay," Keith lifted a hand to his head.

"Do you know why you're here?"

"To remove an implant… that Merla put in," he let his hand drop to the bed. Flashes of memories where on high speed in his mind.

"How are you feeling?"

"It's like a fast forward movie going on in my head. Things are moving… too fast… for me to comprehend." He frowned at the pain.

"I'm going to give you something that will hopefully slow down the movie you're seeing."

Keith watched Gorma inject something in his IV line.

"It should only take a few minutes for it to take effect."

Keith closed his eyes and waited for the calm. As the memories continued to whirl, he grasped fleetingly to one where he was kissing Allura. He frowned; that couldn't be right.

"Are you in pain, Commander?" Gorma asked with concern, his face hovering into view as Keith cracked open his eyes.

Keith realized that the pain he had felt was greatly lessened, although memories were still going through his mind. Popping up like soap bubbles and then bursting, leaving him to sort through their meaning. But he still hadn't answered the doctor. "No, not so much anyway. It's just a lot to take in."

Dr. Gorma pulled up a rolling stool and sat beside the bed. "Tell me about the memories. Do they seem sequential?"

Keith closed his eyes and tried to relax. Taking in the memories he was experiencing now seemed to be ones from his abduction but then he saw a memory where he was holding the legs of some very large vultures. "No, they're not. At least not right now. I'm pretty sure I was just seeing part of my abduction and then I saw part of my escape from Doom."

Keith opened his eyes and looked to the doctor.

Gorma stroked his chin for a moment. "Perhaps there's no particular reason or maybe at times your mind groups together memories with a common theme or feeling."

Keith nodded and then stopped as his head started hurting again.

The doctor must have noticed a look of pain because he stood and moved to a tray of medicine. "I'm going to give you something to sleep. You may be able to integrate the memories better through dreams than in a conscious state." He moved to the IV line. "I won't have it last long, but your blood pressure is elevated as well as your heart rate and I think this may help."

"Understood," Keith responded.

"When you wake up, I'll give you a tablet with your personal logs on it. Maybe reading them will help you sequence the memories."

"Sounds like a good idea," Keith said groggily as he drifted off to sleep.

His sleep wasn't peaceful but it wasn't unpleasant either. His mind was working to integrate his hidden memories back into his consciousness. Even a year's worth of important memories would be a lot to incorporate, but his mind was working to remember where he put his comb and the name of his favorite horse in the Arusian stable. It was a plethora of information.

Slowly, Keith became aware again and blinked his eyes in a normal fashion. His head no longer hurt but the memories were still processing. His hand went to the call button and soon Dr. Gorma was with him.

"How do you feel?"

"Better. I think that my mind processes the memories better when I'm sedated."

"Do you want m—" Gorma began.

"No," Keith said emphatically with a raised hand. "I think I'll be fine just going to sleep later." His eyes moved to a datapad on the side table. "I'm really hoping that reading my personal logs will help me sort the memories into the correct time frames."

"Of course," Gorma said as he picked up the tablet. "Coran has set this datapad to do a retina scan since he figured you might not remember your password."

Keith grimaced; he hadn't even thought about that. "I'll be sure to thank Coran when I see him." As the doctor turned to leave, he asked, "When will I be allowed to have visitors?"

With a kind smile, Gorma asked a question in return. "When would you like them? I told your friends that I would let them know when they could visit but I didn't give them a time frame." He paused as he searched Keith's face. "You've been through a lot, Commander. Many things have happened since your capture by Doom."

Keith stared at the doctor a moment before saying, "I know something big has happened. I can feel it and I know it involves the princess." He frowned. "The memories aren't clear and I would hate to be wrong about what I'm remembering." He closed his eyes and opened them again. Gorma was still there. Waiting. A patient ear to hear whatever Keith needed to say. "Why won't they tell me?"

Dr. Gorma leaned against the wall. "Matters of the heart can be complicated. When you add in torture, memory loss," he raised a hand to forestall Keith, "even when it is tempory, and an absence, things become even more complicated."

"But if they would just tell me—"

Gorma pushed off from the wall, "Commander, look in your logs for what you think happened and then look in your memories. I think you can find them now."

Keith sighed, "You're not going to tell me either."

Gorma smiled. "No. But not because I'm sworn to secrecy but because I think you will find your answers when your mind is ready." He stepped to the door and triggered the sensors. "Call me when you are ready for visitors."

For two hours Keith laid in the bed reading and taking time to meditate on what he read. His memory was piecing back together in an orderly fashion. Now the tablet lay on the bed; his eyes on the blank wall across from him. The words he had written months ago echoing in his mind. _I kissed Allura because she wanted to experience a kiss. To her it was just a kiss, but to me it was so much more._

He closed his eyes and the memory burned pure and bright. He smiled as the related memories of kissing her in the gym and in secret around the castle came back to him. He remembered seeing Lance kiss Allura but though it had upset him, it had set into motion his true relationship with the princess as she realized her own heart. Now Allura was giving him a way out if he didn't remember the relationship or if he no longer wanted it. All he had to do was not remember. But his feelings had returned with the memories and he didn't doubt that her feelings were the same.

Keith laughed softly to himself as the reason for Merla's shirtless request became clear. The Queen was trying to irritate Princess Allura. He smiled as he realized it had worked. Allura still loved him.

Keith pressed the call button for the doctor. It was time to meet with his friends; but it wasn't time to reveal that he had remembered the relationship. Not yet. Not in this hospital room.


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

 **Rating/Setting:** Rating is T for kissing and groping. I know, who knew that I would write a story with some mild groping? Flavor is DotU, but is part of the "Just a Kiss" story arc. 1. Just a Kiss, 2. Shirts vs Skins, 3. More, and , Answers, and Intrigue. You really need to read them all to make sense of the story. Stories 1-3 are all pretty short and should be a quick read if you are interested.

 **Author's Notes:** Well, here we are at the end! I hope that you have enjoyed the story. If so, please let me know. :-) This story was a much different take than most of my other stories but it was a side of DotU that I thought wasn't explored much- what about the Arusians who weren't happy with Allura? I hope you enjoyed my take on what could happen in that situation.

I do not have a brand new story in the works for DotU or VLD at this time but I have about 3-4 old stories that I put on hiatus years ago. I may bring them back out to work on over the summer while I have more time. Thanks again to those of you reading and a big thank you to those of you who review!

* * *

 **C** **hapter 23**

The team sat around the rec room talking. Each had gone in to visit Keith individually at Dr. Gorma's request and Keith had shared with them some of his recovered memories that concerned them. They were all impressed at how well he had recovered.

"So, how about you, Princess?" Sven asked carefully.

Allura didn't really know what to feel. It was great that Keith's memories were returning, but he didn't mention any of their intimate encounters and instead talked about incidents with her and Nanny and her piloting of Blue Lion. "I don't know how to feel, honestly." She looked at her hands as she felt the weight of their looks.

"I'm sure everything will return in time," Hunk said softly.

"Yeah, Princess, it's gotta come back," Pidge added.

Lance sat quietly. She knew that he was afraid to offer false hope.

Finally, Sven brought the gloomy silence to an end. "Dr. Gorma plans to release Keith tomorrow back to his own room and then feels that he should be back on active duty by the end of the week. If all goes as planned, I will return to Pollux when Keith goes back on active duty."

Allura listened as the friends joked with Sven about Romelle. She smiled sadly. There was one princess who got her pilot.

.**********.

 _End of the week…_

The friends waved at Sven as he took off in the small fighter that Keith had flown from Merla's ship. As they turned to leave the hangar, Keith asked, "Princess, would you walk with me? There's a memory that I'm uncertain of and I hoped you'd help me with it."

He could see her excitement as she answered, "Of course, Keith, I'd be glad to help." She turned to walk toward the Lake Bridge.

"No, not outside, Princess. It's inside."

"Oh," she said with false brightness and then asked carefully, "perhaps the training room where you play basketball?"

Keith frowned slightly and said, "No. Not there either. Are there memories there I should remember?"

Allura's shoulders slumped. "I suppose not." She waved in front of her and said, "Lead on, because I obviously don't know where you're going."

Keith smiled inwardly at her discouraged air. Normally, he wouldn't enjoy it, but he knew that soon everything between them would be right.

.**********.

Allura's steps slowed as they headed toward the northeast tower. The tower had a lot of memories for her and Keith. It was one of their private spaces where they spoke of themselves and yes, it was where they kissed. "Keith, what memory do you have of the tower?" Her heart was beating so hard in her chest she felt he must hear it.

"Let's go to the top and I'll tell you."

She glanced to his profile and could see nothing there to indicate that he remembered. She frowned as she climbed the steps with him at her side, racking her brain for any memory of being with him in this turret that didn't involve kissing. None came to mind. "Keith—"

"Almost there," he said and then opened the door onto the balcony.

Allura stepped to the rail and took in the sight of the beautiful countryside. Her breath caught in her throat as Keith pressed his body to her back and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Are you ready to talk to Coran now?" he whispered huskily in her ear, reminding her of their last conversation on the turret where he wanted to tell Coran and she wanted to wait.

She spun in his arms and looked up into his eyes. "You remember!"

"Memories are a poor replacement for the real thing," he said as he lowered his head and brought his lips to hers.

All the longing and fear that she had experienced over the months he was gone were purged as she kissed him with passion that was returned in equal measure by Keith.

Minutes later, they rested their foreheads against each other. "How long have you known?" She asked.

"The night of the surgery."

Her eyes went to his accusingly. "And you waited until now to tell me?"

Keith kissed her forehead and gently said, "And you waited until now to tell me?"

Allura blushed furiously. "Well, I—If you didn't remember—Well, it didn't seem—"

"Hush," he said and kissed her again. When they broke apart again, they held each other tightly. "Even without the memories, I felt drawn to you. But I couldn't tell you in that hospital room. I wanted to tell you somewhere special." The two of them gazed over the land around the castle as they held each other. "So you didn't answer my question."

"hmmm?"

"Are you ready to tell Coran now?"

Allura's laughter trilled through the air. "Oh, he knows, Keith. Believe me he knows."

Keith laughed with her. "I guess not everything was contained in those reports I read. Sounds like you can catch me up on what happened at the castle after I was abducted."

She couldn't help but squeeze him tightly. "It was a horrible time. We can talk later about the intrigue as I answer your question. Right now," she turned her face up to him, "I'm more interested in making new memories with you."

As Keith kissed her to the point of breathlessness, Allura realized that what had started out as a girlish wish for a kiss had turned into so much more than she had ever dreamed of.


End file.
